Project Team

Core Team

Dr. Jitka Vseteckova - Project Lead (Founder)

Dr. Vseteckova is an academic at the Open University where she is involved in research, teaching, supervision and external collaborations.  She leads and presents the successful Ageing Well Public Talks and has an interest health policy and planning, public health and education. She is passionate about ageing well and particularly focussed on addressing health inequalities in this area.

Dr. Lis Boulton

Dr Lis Boulton is Health & Care Policy Manager, in the Charity Influencing Division at Age UK. She has 29 years’ experience in health and social care, including 14 years as an academic researcher, working in the Healthy Ageing Research Group at the University of Manchester. She has published extensively on falls prevention and the importance of physical activity for healthy ageing, as well as on social isolation and loneliness, digital access to services, frailty, and end of life. Lis is Chair of the National Falls Prevention Coordination Group, and also Chair of Age UK Calderdale & Kirklees, her local Age UK in West Yorkshire.

Rachel Millar - Engagement Lead (Co-Founder)

Rachel has a background in science communication and particularly documentaries. She has worked on campaigns, events and has a wealth of engagement experience. She is motivated by social justice issues and a strong believer in the impact of education and empowerment. 

Dr. Sinead Eccles - Northern Ireland Lead

Chartered Neuropsychologist and Staff Tutor, School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University. Sinead has worked with in academia for over 20 years and has a background in Neuropsychology with a focus on the Biological Basis of eating disorders. Sinead is also very interested in the area of disordered eating and is also conducting research in the area of ‘Intuitive Eating and brain health’. 

Dr Katie Davis - Scotland Lead

Dr Katie Davis is a registered mental health nurse and registered teacher with the Nursing & Midwifery Council. With a background in older adult mental health and dementia, she has worked as a lecturer since 2018 at universities in England and Scotland. Currently based in Scotland, Katie joined the Take5 team in 2024. She is passionate about participatory approaches in research and wellbeing across the life span.

Dr Sharon Davies, Wales Lead

Project team members

Professor Christothea Herodotou

Kevin McLeod

Dr Lesley Fearn

Dr Gráinne O’Connor

Louise Newbigging

Dr. Erica Jane Cook

Hannah Bensusan

Doug Anthoney

Dr Nicole Andelic

Advisors

Professor Carol Holland

Professor Alan Gow

Dr. Lucy Pollock

Lesley Carter

Dr. Elke Loeffler

Donna Gallagher 

Professor Angel Chater 

Dr. Ali Tomlin

Dr. Andrew Potter MD 

Stephen Burke 

Juliette Collier 

Mark Russell 

Dr. Bharath Lakkappa 

Catherine James-Oliver

Dr. Dorothy Tse

Dr. Salime Goharinezhad