Richard Walker, MD

I am a Consultant Physician, Honorary Professor of Ageing and International Health, with an interest in healthcare of the elderly, at North Tyneside General Hospital where I was appointed a consultant in 1995. I have a special interest in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and I am the Clinical lead for Northumbria PD Service. I am Director of R&D for the Trust and I am closely involved both locally and nationally with the DeDRoN Research Network.

My main research interest in the UK is Parkinson’s disease. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), specifically Tanzania, I have a research interest in stroke and Parkinson’s disease.

My MD thesis was on the risk factors, and outcome, for stroke in the Gambia, West Africa and I have also published the largest ever prevalence study of stroke in Sub-Saharan Africa, from Tanzania as well as the largest mortality (by verbal autopsy) stroke study in SSA, also from Tanzania. In Tanzania we have just completed the first ever community-based stroke incidence study in SSA and we are presently preparing the results for writing up. We have also just conducted the first Parkinson’s disease prevalence study in SSA (also in Tanzania).