World-leading research
The Department of Psychosis Studies is one of the world’s leading centres for research into psychotic disorders. It is part of the School of Academic Psychiatry.
Our mission: we aim to advance the understanding and treatment of psychotic disorders across all stages to improve the lives of patients and their families.
Our ethos: we take an inclusive approach that respects diverse opinions and backgrounds and includes patient and carer views to support staff and students in our mission.
Our staff include clinical and non-clinical scientists with a wide range of expertise. Their research has been recognised by over 100 research awards, and multiple members of staff have been named by Web of Science as amongst the leading researchers in the world in psychiatry/ neuroscience. We have many research programmes involving national and international partnerships, often with our department acting as the lead site in multi-centre collaborations.
We have been identified as the leading schizophrenia research institution in the world based on impact. Our findings have influenced national and international guidelines and policies to improve the care of people with psychosis.
Head of Department: Professor Oliver Howes
Deputy Head of Department: Professor Sagnik Bhattacharyya
Major research themes and methodologies
Our research includes the following major themes: Comorbidities & transdiagnostic approaches; Interventions; Neuroscience & biological mechanisms; Prediction and analytics; Risk factors and population health; and Treatment resistance.
Our work involves a wide range of methodologies, including artificial intelligence/ digital technologies and interventions, cognitive neuroscience approaches, epidemiology, experimental medicine and clinical trials, ex vivo analyses, genomics, health service and applied research, meta-analysis and evidence synthesis, prevention and early intervention, psychological approaches, psychopathology/ phenomenology, neuroimaging, real world data analyses and natural language processing, and stem cell techniques.
Key strengths of our research include the integration of biological and psychosocial approaches and strong collaboration between disciplines and across research centres.
World-leading education
The Department provides internationally regarded postgraduate education through our MSc programmes, PhD and MD(Res) degrees and clinical courses (often in collaboration with Maudsley Learning).
We host a thriving student community from all over the world. Our teaching staff include world experts and clinical leaders in their fields. The expertise of our teaching staff, combined with access to state-of-the-art research facilities and links to clinical services, provides a unique and diverse learning environment.
MSc Courses
The Department hosts three complementary MSc courses, which consistently receive excellent student feedback. Many of our MSc students progress to study with us at PhD-level, or work in research or clinical roles.
Mental Health Studies MSc: In this programme, leading experts provide an in-depth exploration of the latest research and clinical practices in mental health. Graduates will be well prepared to navigate the diverse landscape of mental health careers spanning research, clinical work, and policy-making.
Psychiatric Research MSc: This MSc provides in depth training in performing clinical research into mental health conditions. It is ideally suited to postgraduate students who wish to pursue a research career, whether in university, industry or other sectors, towards better understanding and treating psychiatric disorders.
Early Intervention in Psychosis MSc: Early intervention in psychosis is an evidence-based approach that combines psychosocial treatment with medication. Because of its success, early intervention is now a crucial part of mental health services worldwide. This unique MSc course provides world-class theoretical and practical training in early intervention, covering the identification and treatment of early symptoms of psychosis.
PhD and MD(Res) Degrees
The Department has around 50 postgraduate students, and a thriving postgraduate student committee who organise social and other events. We offer a wide range of opportunities for people wishing to undertake a PhD or, for clinicians, an MD(Res). Feel free to contact Dr Matthew Kempton or Professor Oliver Howes for more information. General information is available at: Postgraduate Research Programmes.
Clinical links
A great strength of the Department is its close clinical links. The Psychosis Clinical Academic Group (CAG) integrates our research with high quality clinical services for psychosis. These include prevention, early intervention, community, side-effect management, treatment resistance and rehabilitation services for patients in South London and tertiary services which receive referrals from across the UK (e.g. National Psychosis Unit). The CAG structure facilitates the involvement of patients in research, the rapid translation of research findings into clinical practice, and student placements to gain clinical experience.
Culture, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (CED&I)
The Department is committed to promoting a positive environment for all its students, staff and other members of its community which is free from all forms of prejudice, discrimination, harassment and bullying. This is led by an active CEDI team within the Department.
For more information, please visit the IoPPN diversity and inclusion web pages.
Opportunities for students and junior faculty
Students and junior faculty have lots of opportunities to develop their skills and interests and contribute to the Department. Student representatives sit on the departmental committees. There is a thriving student committee, which runs activities for students in the Department. Junior faculty also sit on departmental committees and have mentors in the department, as well as access to support for grant writing and other activities.
Vacancies
The Department often has vacancies for new members of staff, including for research workers, educators, lecturers and post-doctoral researchers. Please visit the IoPPN vacancies pages for a list of current vacancies.
Our courses
Duration: One year full-time, two years part-time, September to September
Our unique Early Intervention in Psychosis course provides world-class specialised training in the early identification and clinical treatment of psychosis, focusing on the detection and management of early symptoms.
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Duration: One year full-time, two years part-time, September to September
Our Mental Health Studies MSc course will equip you with the relevant knowledge in the field of mental health and provide you with the opportunity to examine one area further through both theoretical and empirical research.
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Duration: One year full-time, two years part-time
Our Organisational Psychiatry & Psychology course is unique in the UK and Europe. It draws on contemporary psychological, psychiatric and organisational theory to examine the causes, effects and consequences of mental ill health in the workplace and considers strategies and interventions to improve organisational and individual mental health.
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Duration: One year full-time, two years part-time
The MSc in Psychiatric Research provides in-depth training in how to perform and evaluate research across the psychiatric disorders. Emphasis is placed on building excellent academic skills, independent thinking and an evidence-based scientific approach to mental health research. During the MSc, students develop a deep understanding of what is currently known about psychiatric disorders and their treatment and how well performed research can enhance knowledge and ultimately improve clinical outcomes.
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Latest News from the Department
Dina Farran, a PhD candidate at the Psychosis studies Department, loPPN, King's College London, has been awarded 1st prize presentation at the recent Royal College of Psychiatrists Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry annual conference. Dina is working under the supervision of Professor Fiona Gaughran and Professor Mark Ashworth is about to submit her thesis at the end of this month. In the presentation, Dina summarised her PhD project entitled “stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation and co-morbid physical and mental health problems” consisting of a literature review, 2 observational studies, an intervention and 2 qualitative studies.
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Research Assistant
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Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Psychiatry
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MRCPsych Course Administrator
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Visiting Research Fellow
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PhD Student
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Wellcome Doctoral Clinical Research Fellow
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Clinical Research Fellow
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Research Associate in Transdiagnostic Machine Learning
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Visiting Research Fellow
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Postdoctoral Research Associate
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Clinical Research Associate
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Senior Departmental Administrator
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Reader in Behavioural Neuroscience and Mental Health
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Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology
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Research Coordinator, Department of Psychosis Studies
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Professor of Preventive Psychiatry
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Professor of Physical Health and Clinical Therapeutics
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Research Associate Data Analyst
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PhD Student and Research Assistant
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Research Associate
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Postdoctoral research associate
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Professor of Molecular Psychiatry
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Lecturer
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Senior Lecturer in Health Economics
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Reader in Neuroimaging Psychiatry
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Research Associate
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Reader in Cognitive Neuropsychology - Psychosis Studies
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Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health
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PhD Student
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PhD Student
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PhD Student
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Clinical Research Training Fellow
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Professor of Epidemiology and Therapeutics
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PhD Student
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Wellcome Career Development Fellow
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Professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health
Click for a full list of people associated with the Department of Psychosis Studies.
The Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health (AIM) lab is co-led by the Chair of Precision Psychiatry Professor Nikolaos Koutsouleris and the Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Dr Paris Alexandros Lalousis. It is a new lab based in the Department of Psychosis Studies at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. Our focus is to use AI techniques to improve understanding of mental health disorders and improve diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment tools available for mental health clinicians.
The Cognition, Schizophrenia and Imaging Laboratory (CSI Lab) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience seeks to understand the core biological mechanisms responsible for the development and symptoms of psychotic illness.
We are a multi-disciplinary group of researchers based at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (King's College London). We develop and apply state-of-the-art machine learning methods to investigate a range of mental health disorders, with a particular focus on psychosis. A core aim of our research is to develop and validate clinical tools that could be used to inform diagnosis and treatment of individual patients.
We use state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques in humans and animal models to investigate the neural mechanisms involved in emotions, and their role in the development of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
We aim to understand the biological and cognitive mechanisms underlying schizophrenia, bipolar and related disorders to develop better treatments.
People with schizophrenia suffer from a range of symptoms including hallucinations (such as hearing voices), delusions (false beliefs) and thought disorder (thoughts not flowing in a logical way).
YoungSpace is a group of researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. We are committed to improving the life quality of young people struggling with mental health issues through high-quality research.
Mechanisms underlying treatment response in psychosis (MUTRIPS)
MUTRIPS in a European Research Council funded project which aims to identify the neural mechanisms underlying antipsychotic treatment response in psychosis. The key hypothesis is that lack of adequate response to treatment, the persistence of symptoms despite optimal contemporary treatment, is characterised by a failure of prefrontal cognitive control mechanisms, specifically in modulation of feedback learning.
Find out more about MUTRIPS
DFEND
A randomised, double blind, placebo controlled parallel group trial of vitamin D supplementation compared to placebo in people presenting with their First Episode of psychosis Neuroprotection Design.
The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation in people presenting with their first episode of psychosis.
Further information: Trial registration
eCBD, reducing the harmful effects of cannabis use: Finding the optimal CBD:THC ratio.
In this randomised, double-blind experimental study, healthy volunteers will attend 4 experimental sessions in which they will be administered inhaled cannabis, with each session involving a different CBD:THC ratio. The cannabis ratios will be 0:1, 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 CBD:THC. The aim of this study is to explore at what relative dose ratio the harmful effects of THC on cognition and psychopathology are reduced by CBD.
Investigators: Professor Philip McGuire, Professor Sir Robin Murray, Dr Amir Englund, Dr Tom Freeman, Mr Dominic Oliver, Mr Jack Wilson, Dr Edward Chesney
Contact:
eTHC
In this randomised, double-blind, dose-finding experimental study, frequent problematic cannabis users will attend 3 experimental sessions, in which they will be administered inhaled cannabis, with each session involving a different THC dose. The doses will be 10, 20, and 30mg of THC. The aim of the present preliminary study is to determine which dose of THC induces subclinical paranoid ideations and/or cognitive impairments in frequent cannabis users.
Emotion circuit-based studies of the extended psychosis phenotype
We use neuroimaging methods and behavioural assays to characterise the neural correlates of social and emotional information processing across the psychosis spectrum (schizotypy, clinical high risk of psychosis, first-episode psychosis).
Find out more about this project
Neurodevelopment and Mental Health
Psychotic disorders may result from perturbations at an early stage in development. Studies in people who are born very preterm provide a powerful way of examining the effects of this on cognitive function and mental health in later life. Our department has conducted a series of prospective studies using neuroimaging, neuropsychology and clinical assessments in a large cohort of people who were born preterm and are now entering adulthood.
Contact: Dr Chiara Nosarti chiara.nosarti@kcl.ac.uk
Urban Mind
Urban Mind is a citizen-science research project which combines expertise in mental health, urban planning and design, natural sciences and neuroscience. Our aim is to better understand the effects of urban living on mental health, and use this information to help build healthier cities. We are especially interested in developing and validating nature-based solutions to the intersectional challenges of mental health and climate change in vulnerable and marginalised urban communities.
Find out more about this project
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