Dr Ken Laidlaw has devoted his distinguished career to studying health psychology in relation to aging. He is particularly interested in the quality of life, late-life depression and dementia – especially as it relates to the treatment possibilities of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Dr Laidlaw is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Programme Director at the University of Exeter.

Dr Laidlaw is widely published in peer-reviewed academic journals and is the author of the influential book Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Older People: An Introduction. He has been responsible for developing manuals for various clinical trials and led the development of a cross-cultural Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ), which was trialed in no fewer than 20 countries across the world.

Dr Laidlaw has worked in senior roles in the National Health Service (NHS) in older people services. His honors include a Winston Churchill Fellowship. In 2016 he was invited as a keynote speaker and workshop presenter at the World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies in Melbourne, Australia.