Meet the team
Below are the members of our research team.
Dr Kieran Breen
Head of Research & Development
Kieran Breen joined St Andrew’s Healthcare as Head of Research & Development in February 2018.
He had an academic research career before moving to research funding charities - including Parkinson’s UK and Brain Tumour Research - where he implemented new strategic research funding initiatives. He also serves on the review boards for a number of international research organisations and has been involved in the development and utilisation of patient data registries.
Kieran is a member of a number of working groups at the European Medicines Agency focussing on the use of patient data and the development of disease biomarkers and holds honorary positions at both Loughborough and Northampton Universities where he co-supervises a number of PhD students.
At St Andrew's, he has developed an innovative research strategy focussing on improved patient outcomes and key research areas have included patient inequalities, technology-based therapies, physical exercise, sleep and personalised medicine. He has worked closely with our local provider collaboratives in the development of initiatives such as the evaluation of the East Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative.
With more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in the area of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Kieran brings over 30 years of research knowledge to St Andrew’s Healthcare.
Louise Millard
Senior Project Manager
Louise Millard joined St Andrew’s Healthcare as Senior Project Manager in 2017.
Before joining St Andrew's, Louise had been working in health research support management at The Open University’s Faculty of Health & Social Care in August since 2013.
Previous roles include working as a television production assistant at the BBC for 15 years, and supporting a county construction training group.
Dr Inga Stewart
Consultant Clinical Psychologist | Head of Progressive Neurological Conditions Research Programme | Champion Lead
Dr Inga Stewart is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with substantive roles within co-production strategy and research at St Andrew's. She also serves as Co-chair of the St Andrew's DAWN network, which aims to support colleagues with visible and non-visible/hidden differences or disabilities in the workplace.
For over two decades, Inga has worked in a person-centred way with people presenting with behaviour that challenges or offence related risk within the context of neurological impairment, including Dementia and Huntington’s disease.
Inga has published in the areas of co-production, quality of life, emerging technology interventions (including virtual reality), operant learning, overt aggression, inappropriate sexual behaviour and sexuality, risk assessment, measuring behavioural outcomes, and confronting coercive psychiatric treatments.
Esther Gathii
Senior Research Assistant
Esther Gathii joined St Andrew's in September 2022; initially working a split role as a Research Assistant and an Assistant Psychologist in a low secure setting. Following this, she transitioned to a full-time research role and worked on projects across several divisions within the Charity.
Prior to joining St Andrew's, Esther completed an MSc Forensic Psychology and previously worked in both clinical and education settings.
Esther is currently a Senior Research Assistant working within Huntington's Disease (HD) research.
Fiona Stone
Research Assistant
Fiona Stone joined St Andrew's in November 2024 as a Research Assistant working within Huntington's Disease (HD) research.
Fiona graduated with a 2:1 degree in Psychology at the University of Lincoln, where she had previously completed a research internship. Following this, Fiona completed an MSc in Psychiatric Research at King's College London.
