IHR Seminar: Cognitive function assessment in clinical research: The good, the bad & the ugly

 Keith joined UEMS as Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in November 2016. Since 1973 he
has specialized in measuring human cognitive function in clinical trials. His PhD at Reading
University into the cholinergic bases of human attention led him to computerize tests of major
aspects of cognition, and in the early 1980s to develop the CDR System, an integrated set of
computerized tests to assess change in cognitive function in clinical trials. Since 1986 the
System has been used in over 1,400 worldwide clinical trials. He holds Professorships at the
Psychology Department, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne (since 1997), the Centre
for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia (since 2007) and
the Medicinal Plant Research Group, University of Newcastle (since 2015). Previous academic
positions have been held at Indiana University, Reading University, Guy’s Hospital Medical
School, the University of East London and Bristol University. He has authored approaching 300
peer-reviewed publications and 9 students have received PhDs under his supervision. Since
February 2014 he has run Wesnes Cognition Ltd, which provides a proprietary online cognitive
test system, CogTrack, for use in worldwide clinical research.

The presentation will be an overview of Keith’s research in applying cognitive tests to clinical
research. Collaboration with Universities & research groups worldwide has been a core feature
of his experience and he will present an overview of studies in a wide variety of disciplines. The
benefits of automated testing will be discussed. The intention is to make colleagues in UEMS
aware of the cognitive test system Keith has developed, as he hopes to provide it to groups who
may wish to use it on projects of mutual interest.