Experts back patient passports and faster mental health treatment for young people Professor Tamsin Ford joined the expert-led Times Health Commission in January last year—to support evidence-based, dispassionate, clear-sighted and non-ideological recommendations. Professor Ford said in the report: “The pressure on the NHS is absolutely horrendous for those working with children and young people.” She also highlighted the “sudden and quite marked uptick in anxiety, depression and self-harm among young women first detected in 2014.” The Commission shared its findings in a special report publis ..read more

Since recently completing her PhD Juliet Griffin shares her research and experience as a student here in the Department of Psychiatry. Research group: Fletcher lab Supervisor: Paul Fletcher Advisor: Graham Murray Full Title: Predictive Processing Alterations in Psychosis Across Illness Stage, Hierarchical Level and Thematic Domain Can you give us a short background into what your PhD/MPhil was about?   I was interested in understanding how the complex phenomenology of psychosis could be explained in terms of specific alterations to the neurocomputational mechanisms by which all our beli ..read more

Genetic risks for schizophrenia are theoretically mediated by genetic effects on brain structure but it has been unclear which genes are associated with both schizophrenia and cortical phenotypes. The post The genetic relationships between brain structure and schizophrenia appeared first on Department of Psychiatry ..read more

The relationship between obesity and human brain structure is incompletely understood.  The post A new study looks at two human brain systems micro-structurally associated with obesity appeared first on Department of Psychiatry ..read more

An AI system designed to speed up the diagnosis of mental health conditions in children is to be developed in Cambridge. The post Can AI find the children at risk of mental health conditions? appeared first on Department of Psychiatry ..read more

Expert colleagues at CPFT/Cambridge University/researchers at the NIHR ARC EoE have contributed two new textbooks to the psychiatry canon, which have been published today.  The books were produced in collaboration between CPFT, the University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry, international expert Dr Stephen Stahl, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.   Dr Sepehr Hafizi (pictured left), consultant psychiatrist for CPFT’s Mulberry acute mental health wards and former research fellow with the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England (ARC EoE), is lead ed ..read more

Our annual departmental symposium showcased the latest research being undertaken by our postgraduate students. A very busy schedule included: 14 Student research presentations Welcome and farewell by the Head of Department Professor Tamsin Ford a special talk on Creating a Positive Research Environment by Professor John Suckling Our innovative Horizons competition The Frantz Fanon Keynote Lecture by Professor Nandini Chakraborty Evening reception and after-hours social This year’s The Frantz Fanon Keynote Lecture was delivered by Professor Nandini Chakraborty on Reflections on research by ..read more

A warm welcome to our new students joining us this term. This term we are delighted to have a record 22 students starting with us! We look forward to you joining our research community and getting involved. The post Welcome new students of 2023 appeared first on Department of Psychiatry ..read more

Did you know we have been supporting the career development of its professional services staff through the University’s Apprentice Scheme? Apprenticeships are a great way to learn new skills alongside a full-time job. They can be used to enrich the skills of current experienced staff and open up new opportunities, or for bringing in fresh, talented, new staff and providing them with training to help establish a new career. The scheme means that staff can use 20% of their time to attend lectures and complete coursework while maintaining their full-time salary. This allows them to use their day ..read more

Clinical researchers at CPFT are running a major international study as UK partner to improve treatment and prevention of psychotic disorders, one of the most urgent needs in mental health. CPFT’s CAMEO early intervention service specialises in providing mental health care for people with the first signs of psychosis, where thoughts and perceptions may be disrupted to hear or see things that are not real. This service also conducts groundbreaking research to understand and develop effective treatments for psychosis, bringing the latest studies to patients in their clinics. One o ..read more