Summary
Research in Mood Disorders
The Institute for Mental Health (IMH) at the University of Birmingham is a national centre for mood disorders research. The group is made up of senior clinical academics, and in 2023, and a membership of 13 post-docs, researchers, plus PhD/MSc students, and is expanding. The group is currently providing leadership in 5 nationally important multi-centre RCTs ( ) focussed on treatment for mood disorders. Research collaborations are with UK, European and Australian Centres of excellence. Group expertise includes RCTs for pharmacological and psychological treatments, data science, epidemiology (including secondary data analysis), developmental psychopathology, neuro-inflammation, evidence synthesis, biomarkers in bipolar disorder, ultra-high risk and early intervention in bipolar disorder, treatment resistant depression, affective psychosis, and emotional dysregulation transdiagnostically. The research is strongly clinically, and therapeutics focussed.
Suicide research is also a key research theme, and is particularly focussed on self harm and suicide in young people.
Key University of Birmingham internationally recognised researchers in this area are Professors Marwaha who leads mood disorders research, Broome, and Upthegrove, and Dr Maria Michail. They have a strong research track record with significant funding awards from the NIHR, MRC and Wellcome Trust, and have authored multiple high-impact publications in this area including in The Lancet, British Journal of Psychiatry, JAMA Psychiatry, and World Psychiatry. Professor Marwaha represents the IMH on the NIHR Translation Research Collaboration(TRC)-Mood Theme.
Research in Psychosis
The Institute for Mental Health at the University of Birmingham is internationally known for psychosis research, leads on a number of national trials, observational studies and experimental medicine studies. There are ongoing international collaborations with European and Australian research centres. Recent successes are the MRC funded PIMS study which uses an experimental medicine and data science to develop new treatments in psychosis, recent NIHR Biomedical Research Centre funding in Molecular Targets for psychosis. The group is also the only UK national centre for a US NIMH funded study led by Melbourne examining the early course of psychosis. The group has expertise in immune-psychiatry, experimental medicine, early intervention paradigms, randomised control trials testing the effectiveness of medications, ultra-high risk for psychosis studies, epidemiology, and prediction modelling. Key University of Birmingham internationally recognised researchers in this area are Professors Upthegrove and Broome. They have a strong track record of supervising academic staff, and have authored multiple high-impact publications in these areas, . The Lancet Psychiatry, The Lancet Digital Health, The British Journal of Psychiatry, JAMA Psychiatry, World Psychiatry.
Research environment: The Institute for Mental Health
The Institute for Mental Health (now housed in our new Wolfson Research Unit for Youth Mental Health, Gisbert Kapp, Edgbaston Park Road, UoB Edgbaston campus) is an established research and training centre maximising the collaborative efforts of academics at the University of Birmingham and building on the strong existing partnerships with practice in the NHS, established through the Birmingham Health Partners. Its objective is to improve the care and outcomes of people with mental health problems, with a focus on youth and life course mental health. Our approach to mental health recognises its multi-dimensional nature and that a broad approach is required to understand the biological, psychological, anthropological, sociocultural and socioeconomic factors that shape individuals and population level mental health. Key themes include: Research excellence in discovery science and latest technologies informing best practice; Inter-disciplinary research and multi-sector engagement across the region and internationally; Focus on cognitive neuroscience, biomarker discovery, innovative service delivery and practice in the 0–25 age group; Strength in social policy and implementing research into practice, parity of physical and mental health care. We also host a number of PhDs and run a new MSc in Mental Health, into which medical students can now intercalate. We work closely with the University of Birmingham Centre for Human Brain Health and Centre for Developmental Science, and have access to state-of-the-art neuroimaging facilities.
The ACL will join an established and high impact interdisciplinary programmes of research, be integrated with the mood disorders lab group or the psychosis lab and with support, lead a major research project. This could be in epidemiology, psychopharmacology, experimental medicine, clinical trials, prediction modelling, immuno-psychiatry, biomarkers, and understanding the development of the early phases of depression, bipolar disorder, and/or psychosis.
A bespoke academic and clinical rotation plan will be developed with the ACL academic trainer, the IAT Psychiatry lead and Head of School tailored appropriately to their developing academic and clinical portfolio to support them in a successful application to a Clinician Scientist Fellowship, which the IMH has a track record in supporting.
The successful ACL will join another ACL and 2 ACFs in mental health.
Two major research awards offer further multiple opportunities to prospective candidates. The first of these is the Mental Health Mission Midlands Translation Centre (MTC)which in Birmingham is focussed early psychosis, treatment resistant depression and children and young people’s mental health. Further initial information can be found here: . The second is the Oxford Biomedical Research centre award where UoB are partners to this focussed on the same areas as the MHM.
Academic Lead for the Psychiatry ACL programme
Professor Steven Marwaha (