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Dr Lindsey Sinclair
Name:
Dr Lindsey Sinclair
Job title:
Honorary Senior Clinical Research Fellow/ Locum Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry
Place of work / study:
University of Bristol & Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership
Area of Research:
Ageing and mental health
How is your work funded:
Like many researchers I’ve had a patchwork of funding over the years, including from the Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, BRACE Alzheimer’s Research, the David Telling Charitable Trust, Dementia Platforms UK, the James Tudor Foundation and the British Neuropathological Society. I am also immensely grateful to the NHS for funding my salary whilst I was in training.
Tell us a little about yourself:
I’m a psychiatrist and post-doctoral researcher. I spend my clinical time seeing older adults with the whole range of mental health problems. I’ve loved science since I was very young and feel so lucky to have been able to do research alongside my clinical training. I’m particularly interested in the complex relationship between depression and dementia. Unusually for a psychiatrist most of my research is in the lab but I also have experience in epidemiology and genetic epidemiology. I’m the finance officer for the academic faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and through that I helped to set up two funding schemes for psychiatric trainees interested in research.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I love cooking, especially baking. My children see this as a challenge and up the ante each year with the birthday cake requests. Previous requests have included tractors, a Henry Hoover cake (?!?), a magician’s hat and a 3D Hogwarts castle complete with lake and mountains. Who knew that peak flow measurement tubes wrapped in icing would make perfect turrets? Hopefully this year they will ask for something a bit less ambitious!
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
All of my grandparents had different kinds of dementia, so I have personal experience of how devastating it can be for patients and those around them. I have never forgotten my grandmother snarling at me like an animal when I went to visit her in her care home and her cup of tea didn’t come fast enough. As a 14-year-old it was just too much to cope with, but as an adult I really want to make a difference for other families affected by dementia.
What single piece of advice would you give to an early career researcher?
If at first you don’t succeed try, try again, but think about getting some advice on why it didn’t work the first time.
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
I absolutely love sci-fi and particularly anything by Peter F Hamilton or Connie Willis. I’ve just finished reading “The Power” by Naomi Alderman, which was a really thoughtful book about gender politics with a sci-fi twist.
Favourite film of all time?
The Lord of the Rings series
Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?
I’m pretty sporty and enjoy running and figure skating. When my children let me have the time I love rowing too in my single scull along a stunning piece of river near my home.
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Dr Lis Grey