Re:Cognition Health is a major centre for international clinical trials and provides access to next-generation neurological treatments, including newly approved monoclonal antibody therapies for Alzheimer’s. It represents an internationally recognised network of Brain and Mind Clinics in the UK and USA. The expert team supports a wide range of conditions – from autism and ADHD to neurodegenerative diseases – using the latest evidence-based assessment and imaging techniques. The organisation’s world-leading work has earned more than 40 national and international awards.
Emer’s role in the District
Dr Emer MacSweeney is a leading Consultant Interventional Neuroradiologist and the co-founder and CEO of Re:Cognition Health. She founded the organisation in 2011 to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment, neurodevelopmental conditions and traumatic brain injury, with a strong focus on tackling the global challenge of Alzheimer’s disease.
“I’ve always been passionate about the brain and mind and being, aware of how diseases of the brain and mind are, in many respects, the most incapacitating because our brains and minds are who we are. I just felt this was such a big space to tackle.”
She took us to the very first Re:Cognition Health clinic on Queen Anne Street, which they soon outgrew, moving to their clinic on Wimpole Street. We asked her how she felt when making the decision to start the company.
“Probably terrified! I’d never started a company before, and I didn’t know what I know now. If I had known that, then I’d have been even more terrified. But I was unbelievably excited.”
We asked her why she chose to be here, in the Harley Street Health District, and how important it was for her business.
“There were several reasons. We were a brand new company, and it was very important for us to be somewhere that was a very established area with a clinical excellence, with research reputation, with experts around us. But in addition to that, we were going to be treating patients with diseases of the brain and mind, and we needed to be somewhere that was really well established – that people would trust and recognise.”
The field of cognitive diseases
Since that point, we asked Emer about the most exciting advances in the field to date. She notes that recent years have brought “massive strides in research and development,” particularly in tackling neuroinflammation and the buildup of abnormal proteins in the brain. With new biomarkers enabling early detection and medications that attack the neuroinflammation, alongside growing public understanding that “forgetting things as you get older is not normal,” she says she is “cautiously optimistic.” As early diagnosis improves, she believes prevention is approaching: if disease can be detected before symptoms appear, “we’re going to be able to look into prevention of brain diseases.”
Her top tips for maintaining brain health and preventing disease?
“Exercise is probably the single most important thing. A Mediterranean-style diet, and the key thing is that the brain hates sugar. Sleep is very important, keeping your brain really active, both through learning and being socially active. You’ve also got to avoid the things that are deliberately bad for your brain – especially smoking and excess alcohol – you only get one brain, and you really need to look after it.”
Perspectives
When asked what she would want the world to know about the District, Emer responded:
“It’s an incredibly sociable place… it’s almost like a virtual hospital, really, with lots of doctors and other health care professionals wandering around.”
Emer leads a very busy life, so we asked her where she likes to go to unwind:
“There’s just lots of nice little places all around Marylebone High Street… that’s where I normally go for lunch.”
As a company that has been in the District for well over a decade, we were interested to hear what gives her optimism for the next decade:
“The rate of change. It’s phenomenal. Every year brings breakthroughs we couldn’t have imagined a decade ago. We’re now global leaders in clinical trials, and that allows us to translate new discoveries straight into clinical practice. From early diagnostics to disease-modifying treatments and emerging tools, the momentum is extraordinary. I genuinely feel incredibly lucky to be working in this field at this moment in time. It’s the most exciting place in medicine, and we’re only at the beginning.”
We publish a new People of Harley Street Health District profile each month. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for more.
Watch our last episode with Paul Bakker, The Howard de Walden Estate here
