Aimee Spector

Aimee Spector is an Old Age Clinical Psychology Professor at UCL and the Director of the International Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Center. Her research broadly focuses on the development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions and outcome measures for people with dementia. She co-invented the novel treatment for dementia, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST), which is now recommended by UK government guidelines (NICE, 2018) and is the primary psychosocial intervention offered by UK memory clinics.

Her recent research has taken a more global focus, for example, she leads an MRC funded implementation trial of CST in Brazil, India, and Tanzania; and work closely with colleagues from the University of Hong Kong (through a formal strategic partnership), where they have looked at neuropsychological mechanisms of CST through neuroimaging. Other intervention research has included evaluation of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Compassion Focused Therapy to manage mood problems in dementia, as well as several training programs for dementia care staff. She has developed and published a range of outcome measures including measures of dementia knowledge, sense of competence, hope and resilience, and independence and engagement.

August 2019