Dr Ashvini Keshavan

Who Dr Ashvini Keshavan is

Dr Ashvini Keshavan is a Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at the Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology. She obtained her medical degree from Trinity College, Cambridge, completed neurology specialist training in Central and East London, and was awarded her PhD at UCL in 2019 on cerebrospinal fluid and blood biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. She was appointed to her current dual role at UCL and UCLH in April 2023. Her research applies blood and CSF biomarker testing to the early detection, differential diagnosis, and prognosis of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease. She is co-chief investigator of the ADAPT trial, which is evaluating whether the blood protein p-tau217 can improve Alzheimer's diagnosis earlier and more accurately than current methods across NHS memory clinics. She has argued publicly for the NHS integration of blood-based dementia diagnostics as a route to earlier, fairer, and more accessible diagnosis.

References for this biography

1. 1.Ashvini Keshavan | About | University College London — Current role, title, institutional address, postcode, ORCID, PhD award date, appointment date, ADAPT co-chief investigator status
2. 2.Dr Ashvini Keshavan and her trial identifying accurate and quick blood tests to diagnose dementia | UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences — Role title, institutional affiliation, background narrative, Blood Biomarker Challenge co-lead
3. 3.UK trial launches to transform Alzheimer's diagnosis with simple blood test | UCL News — ADAPT trial launch, co-lead status with Prof Schott, NHS memory clinic recruitment, Blood Biomarker Challenge context
4. 4.Blood test may spot Alzheimer's 10 to 15 years before symptoms show | UCL News — Press commentary on co-authored research into early Alzheimer's blood detection
5. 5.Profile – Dr Ashvini Keshavan | NIHR Dementia Researcher — Research focus on blood and CSF biomarkers, PhD topic, Insight 46 cohort work
6. 6.The ADAPT study stage 1: Validating clinical cut-points against CSF and amyloid PET | Alzheimer's & Dementia — 2026 peer-reviewed publication with Keshavan as lead/co-lead author on ADAPT Stage 1 validation
7. 7.Insight 46 Research Team | Dementia Research Centre – UCL — Confirms role as Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary Consultant Neurologist on the Insight 46 team

Notable achievements

• Co-leads the ADAPT trial (launched September 2025), a UK-wide study across ~20 NHS centres evaluating plasma p-tau217 as an early Alzheimer's diagnostic tool, part of the multi-million-pound Blood Biomarker Challenge. Source ↗
• Awarded a Wolfson Clinical Research Fellowship at UCL, her route into dementia fluid biomarker research. Source ↗
• Co-authored research (published June 2024) showing a blood test may detect Alzheimer's 10–15 years before symptoms appear. Source ↗
• Published ADAPT Stage 1 study in Alzheimer's & Dementia (2026), validating plasma p-tau217 clinical cut-points against CSF and amyloid PET in two UK biomarker-defined cohorts. Source ↗

What Dr Ashvini Keshavan has said

• “which is vital if we want to provide the evidence required by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, [NICE] to make these blood tests available to everyone who will benefit.”

  Leading the ADAPT trial · Dementia · 29 Sept 2026 · How Alzheimer’s Research UK helped develop blood tests for Alzheimer’s ↗

• “The ADAPT (Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Plasma pTau217) trial, led by Professor Jonathan Schott and Dr Ashvini Keshavan (both UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) is investigating whether a blood test that measures the protein p-tau217 can improve the early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.”

  UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · Dementia · 29 Sept 2026 · Transforming Alzheimer's disease diagnosis at UCL ↗

• “Co-investigator on the ADAPT trial investigating blood test for p-tau217 in Alzheimer's diagnosis”

  UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology · Dementia · 29 Sept 2026 · Leading the fight against dementia: UCL research into prevention, diagnosis and treatment ↗

• “This is not about confirming accuracy, which we have already done. This is about showing that it actually makes a difference to patients' onward management.”

  senior clinical research fellow at University College London's Dementia Research Centre · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Doctors trial £100 blood test that could transform how NHS detects Alzheimer’s ↗

Where Dr Ashvini Keshavan has been quoted

1. How people’s voices are shaping trial of Alzheimer’s blood testalzheimersresearchuk.org · 30 Sept 2026
2. How Alzheimer’s Research UK helped develop blood tests for Alzheimer’salzheimersresearchuk.org · 29 Sept 2026
3. Transforming Alzheimer's disease diagnosis at UCLucl.ac.uk · 29 Sept 2026
4. Leading the fight against dementia: UCL research into prevention, diagnosis and treatmentucl.ac.uk · 29 Sept 2026
5. Doctors trial £100 blood test that could transform how NHS detects Alzheimer’stheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Early-onset Alzheimer's disease shows different warning signs from established risk factorsMedical Xpress
• Earlier Alzheimer’s Treatment Could Increase Lifetime BenefitsEMJ
• Leaders in Care Awards 2026 | Lifetime Achievement: Care Homes winner revealedHome Care Insight

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/52928-ashvini-keshavan
• ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1043-5721published here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ashvini-keshavan-6a2088165/

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.