Dr Tom Russ
Reader in Old Age Psychiatry

- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, PPLS
- Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network, NHS Research Scotland
Contact details
- Tel: (0131) 536 6672
- Email: T.C.Russ@ed.ac.uk
- AlzScotDRC Twitter
Address
- Street
-
Kennedy Tower
Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Morningside Terrace - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH10 5HF
- Street
-
Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre
7 George Square - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH8 9JZ
Availability
I usually have clinical work on a Monday afternoon, some Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Friday mornings.
Background
I trained in medicine and psychiatry in Edinburgh, the Highlands and London and work clinically with older people with dementia. My PhD was in dementia epidemiology. I am an honorary Consultant Psychiatrist (NHS Lothian), Network Champion of the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Research Network (NHS Research Scotland), and Director of the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre (PPLS, University of Edinburgh).
I would like to encourage any students interested in dementia research, whether or not it happens to be in connection with an SSC block, to contact me about potential projects. I am or have recently supervised projects on temporal trends in dementia rates, music and dementia, and the concept of personhood in dementia so I’d be very pleased to hear from students whatever their focus of interest.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science, University of Edinburgh: Medical Science with Honours in Psychology
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Edinburgh
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Edinburgh: An integrated investigation into dementia risk factors: insights from geography, record linkage, and individual participant meta-analysis
Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice , University of Edinburgh
Responsibilities & affiliations
Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy of Scotland
Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, FRCPsych
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, FHEA
Associate Member of the Institute of Group Analysis
Certificate of Completion of Training in Old Age Psychiatry, CCT
Specialty Training Committee for Old Age Psychiatry, NHS Education for Scotland
Health Improvement, Protection and Services (HIPS) Research Committee, Chief Scientist Office
Medical Review Panel, Scottish Episcopal Church
Society, Religion, and Technology (SRT) Project, Church of Scotland
Medical Member, Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland
Dementia experts panel, Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaborator network
World Young Leaders in Dementia
Scottish Philosophy and Psychiatry special interest group
Undergraduate teaching
Year 1 MB ChB Social and Ethical Aspects of Medicine, Medical Ethics, Legal, and Professional Responsibilities
Final Year MB ChB students on clinical placements in psychiatry
Developmental and Clinical Neuroscience (Honours)
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Behaviour and Mental Heath (Honours)
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Current PhD students supervised
Anna Bryan† ACRC Academy 2021—
Jonny Flint ACRC Academy 2021—
Otto-Emil Jutila MRC 2021—
Sasha Lewis-Jackson ACRC Academy 2022—
Dr Donncha Mullin Royal College of Psychiatrists 2020—
Luisa Parkinson† ASDRC 2018—
Martha Pollard† ASDRC 2018—
Rosie Vincent Alzheimer’s Society 2020—
Dr Katherine Walesby† ASDRC/CCACE 2015—
Past PhD students supervised
Dr Sahan Mendis†* ASDRC 2019— next steps: NHS
Helen Corby† ESRC/SGSSS 2017–23 Postdoctoral researcher (UoE)
Jure Mur† WT Translational Neuroscience 2019–23 Academia
Miles Welstead Age UK 2019–22 Postdoctoral researcher (UoE)
Stina Saunders EPAD 2017–22 Commercial research
Dr Ruth Sibbett† ASDRC 2013–19 Career break
Dr Lucy Stirland PsySTAR 2016–19 SCREDS Clinical Lecturer
Jude Gibson WT STRADL 2015–19 Withdrawn (health)
* Thesis to be submitted imminently, viva to be arranged
† Primary supervisor
Research summary
I have been investigating geographical variation in dementia risk for a number of years and we have found substantial variation with increased risk in the north of Scotland, Sweden, and Italy, compared to the south. In Sweden, even after taking account of genetic effects, the risk of dementia was still two-to-three times higher in the north compared to the south which suggests an environmental effect. Therefore, I am now focusing on environmental risk factors for dementia, including air pollution and vitamin D deficiency (which relates to sunlight).
- Dementia epidemiology, including geographical variation in dementia, environmental risk factors, and the life course approach
- Psychological distress as a risk factor
- Individual participant meta-analysis
Research activities
-
Identifying dementia using medical data linkage in a longitudinal cohort study: Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
In:
BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04797-7
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Influences of genetically predicted and attained education on geographic mobility and their association with mortality
In:
Social Science & Medicine, vol. 324
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115882
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Low-level lithium in drinking water and subsequent risk of dementia: Cohort study
In:
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol. 38
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5890
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Anticholinergic burden in middle and older age is associated with lower cognitive function, but not with brain atrophy
In:
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.15698
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Socioeconomic status as a risk factor for Motoric Cognitive Risk syndrome in a community-dwelling population: a longitudinal observational study
In:
European Journal of Neurology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.15731
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Are neuropsychiatric symptoms a marker of small vessel disease progression in older adults?: Evidence from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
In:
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol. 38
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5855
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Service impact: how patients use mental health and medical services before and after psychodynamic psychotherapy
In:
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, pp. 1-14
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02668734.2022.2147580
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Predictors of longitudinal cognitive ageing from age 70 to 82 including APOE e4 status, early-life and lifestyle factors: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
In:
Molecular Psychiatry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01900-4
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Mitigating the impact of air pollution on dementia and brain health: Setting the policy agenda
In:
Environmental Research, vol. 215
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114362
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article (Published) -
Dementia diagnosis and prevalence in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 using medical data linkage
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.18.22282515
Research output: › Preprint (Published)
More video
- Geography and environmental risk factors for dementia
- Childhood Cognitive Ability and Incident Dementia
- MRC debate: Does the Wisdom of Age Trump the Speed of Youth?
- Dementia diaries
- Height Linked with Risk of Dementia
- Preventing Dementia: How lifestyle choices may reduce your risk
- Putting dementia on the map
- Treatments for Neurodegenerative Disease