CLINICAL TEAM
Grace Blissitt
Research Assistant
Grace joined the ADVANCE team in November 2021 as a Research Assistant. Grace’s main role as part of the ADVANCE team is to conduct assessments for the ADVANCE TBI (traumatic brain injury) study. Grace graduated with an MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Aberdeen in July 2021.
Nicola Goodman
Clinical Project Assistant
Nikki joined the ADVANCE Team in April 2022. As a member of the clinical team, she undertakes a number of clinical assessments with participants during their visits and works closely with all the relevant teams within ADVANCE. Nikki has a background in Respiratory Physiology and respiratory clinical trials and has a particular interest in the lung function outcomes of the study.
Meliha Kaya-Barge
Healthcare Assistant
Meliha qualified as a nurse in 2006 from Birmingham City University and currently works as a healthcare assistant in the ADVANCE Study. Originally from Turkey, she has been in the UK since 1999 and is married to a serving soldier in the nursing corps. Together they travel around Europe for her husband’s work.
Joss Keshet-Price
Senior Clinical Research Nurse
Jocelyn joined the ADVANCE Team in 2022 as the ADVANCE Senior Clinical Research Nurse. Her role oversees all clinical aspects of the study, working with the clinical team and each participant during their visit to DMRC Stanford Hall, taking bloods, monitoring cardiac rhythms, blood pressure, respiratory output, performing DEXA scans and working with Radiology to ensure participants have x-rays and MRI scans.
Lydia Orton
Research Assistant
Lydia joined the ADVANCE Team in July 2023. As a Research Assistant on the ADVANCE-TBI study, her role has included administering neuropsychological assessments to participants and supporting the smooth running of the TBI study. She is now transitioning to have more of a focus on the management and analysis of the neuroimaging data within the Imperial Brain Department.
Bharti Patel
Research Radiographer
Bharti joined the ADVANCE Study in March 2023 as a Research Radiographer. Bharti obtained her Diploma from the College of Radiographers in 1981 and amongst other roles worked as a senior radiographer at Loughborough Hospital for 20 years. She brings a wealth of experience after working in radiography for several decades.
Samantha Paul
MRI Radiographer
Sam joined ADVANCE in February 2022 as an MRI radiographer. Sam has a postgraduate diploma in MRI imaging from Bradford University and over 15 years of radiography experience. Sam's previous research experience spans SEMAC (Slice Encoding for Metal Artefact Correction) imaging for hip replacements and imaging porcine subjects to look at the efficiency of radio-cardiac ablation.
Rachel Matravers
Clinical Research Nurse
Rachel joined ADVANCE in June 2024. As a member of the nursing team, she undertakes a number of clinical assessments with the participants during their visit. She has previously worked in orthopaedics and osteoporosis management and has a particular interest in the musculoskeletal and bone density outcomes of the study. She works closely with all the relevant teams within ADVANCE, such as the researchers, data team, clinical and admin teams.
Max Matravers
Clinical Project Assistant
Max joined the ADVANCE team in November 2024. His main role is to carry out neuropsychological assessments for ADVANCE Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) study. Max studied BA Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Durham.
Sandra Simpson
Clinical Project Assistant
Sandra joined the ADVANCE Team in 2024 as a Clinical Project Assistant. Sandra's role is to assist in the collection of the neuropsychiatric assessments ADVANCE Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) study. Sandra also assists with the collection and processing of MRI brain scan data.
ADMIN TEAM
Alison Hever
Study Administrator
Alison joined the ADVANCE team in February 2022. As one of the administrators she is responsible for contacting participants to arrange their follow up visits and booking and arranging all aspects relating to their visit.
Tass White
Clinical Operations Lead
Tass joined the ADVANCE team in 2018 as an Administrator, where she helped with baseline recruitment. She has since become the Clinical Operations Manager with oversight of the team and processes at Stanford Hall to make sure the most effective and efficient systems are in place. Tass works closely with all teams ensuring the participant’s visits to Stanford Hall run smoothly and robust data is collected.
Severija Juškaitė
Research Assistant
Severija joined the ADVANCE Team in 2023. As a Research Assistant, she mostly works in recruitment booking and arranging participant visits.
Jodie Stevenson
Study Administrator
Jodie joined the ADVANCE team in 2021 as Finance Administrator. She ensures all financial processes run smoothly, managing spreadsheets and reconciliation. She works closely with the Recruitment Team, meeting cohort retention and the Communications Team to produce newsletters based on ADVANCE findings and interviews with participants to record their perspective of military life and the ADVANCE Study.
Nicola Edmonds
Study Administrator
Nicola joined the ADVANCE team in September 2024 as an ADVANCE Study Administrator. She will be contacting participants and booking them in for their ADVANCE visits. She will be working closely with other members of the team to ensure the smooth running of the project.
