Six strategic grants awarded by UCL’s Grand Challenge of Mental Health & Wellbeing

UCL’s Grand Challenge of Mental Health & Wellbeing have awarded six strategic grants, building towards the theme’s five-year strategy. These two-year grants aim to accelerate intervention discovery and development to improve mental health and wellbeing, by bringing together expertise across disciplines. 

Speaking on the successful strategic grants, Professor Essi Viding and Professor Argyris Stringaris, Pro-Vice-Provosts (UCL’s Grand Challenge of Mental Health & Wellbeing) said:

We are delighted to support such a strong set of projects from across UCL, highlighting innovative cross-disciplinary approaches and collaborations. Many of the projects work closely with stakeholders from diverse groups and communities and all break new ground with genuine translational potential. We’re excited to see these initiatives take shape and the impact they will deliver."

Summary details of the projects awarded are below: 

Project name: 
Mental Health, Interiors, Neuroscience, Design & Sustainability (MINDS) Living Lab 
Project leads: 
Dr Fiona Zisch, The Bartlett School of Architecture, The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment. 
Professor Hugo Spiers, Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences.  
Amount awarded: £79,215

Project name: 
Innovating methods to understand worsening trends and persisting inequalities in mental health 
Project leads: 
Professor Praveetha Patalay, Social Research Institute, Institute of Education and Department of Population Sciences and Experimental Medicine, Population Health Sciences. 
Professor Oliver Robinson, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Education and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences.   
Dr Lukasz Rachel, Department of Economics, Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences.  
Dr Jen Dykxhoorn, Brain Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, Department of Epidemiology and Applied Clinical Research, Faculty of Brain Sciences. 
Amount awarded: £138,857.00

Project Name:
Enhancing Detection and Early Intervention for Body Dysmorphic Symptoms in University Students
Project Leads: 
Dr Georgina Krebs, Department of Clinical Education and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences Faculty of Brain Sciences
Dr Thomas Kador, UCL Arts & Sciences
Dr Elizabeth Hogg, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology
Dr Tom Osborn, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences.
Amount awarded: £99,824.06

Project name:
Leveraging rare genetic variation for drug discovery 
Project leads:
Professor A Floriaan Schmidt, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health Sciences. 
Professor Jean-Baptiste Pingault, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences. 
Dr Helen Knowler, UCL Arena Centre.   
Dr José J. Morosoli, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology. 
Dr Abi Ter Kulle, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology.
Amount awarded: £99,803.90

Project name:
Promoting safe adolescent relationships: A cross-disciplinary coproduced approach
Project leads:  
Dr Patrizia Pezzoli, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences. 
Professor Rochelle Burgess, Institute for Global Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences. 
Amount awarded: £86,178.08

Project name:
Human resources: Understanding staff Mental health and workplace Needs (HUMAN) 
Project leads: 
Dr Danielle Lamb, Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Faculty of Population Health Sciences.
Professor Jo Billings, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences. 
Dr Helen Nicholls, Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences.  
Amount awarded: £14,952.18