Linda is Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing and Dementia at the University of Exeter Medical School where she directs the Centre for Ageing and Cognitive Health (REACH). Her research focuses on maintaining cognitive health in later life, living well with dementia, developing rehabilitative approaches to optimise independence and well-being, and supporting family carers. She leads both large observational studies and intervention trials and is particularly known for pioneering the application of cognitive rehabilitation approaches for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Linda is dementia theme lead for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula (PenARC). From 2014 to 2024 she led the IDEAL programme, the largest study of living well with dementia in Great Britain and an Alzheimer’s Society Centre of Excellence. This experience in particular led to her involvement in policy-focused research and the development of DeNPRU Exeter.
Linda has published over 300 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. She is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, the Academy of Social Sciences and the Gerontological Society of America and an emeritus member of the Governing Board of the Global Council on Brain Health. In 2023 she was awarded life membership of the Cochrane Collaboration in recognition of her long standing contribution as an editor.