UCL researchers to explore the elements of effective mental heath treatments

The award seeks to tackle a research gap that has been identified around treatments for these conditions, which affect millions of people around the world. The aim of the research is to inform the improvement of existing treatments and the development of new ones. 

The teams, led by researchers from the Division of Psychiatry and the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, who are also affiliated to UCL’s Institute of Mental Health, will investigate the active ingredients in each effective therapy to find out how and why they work.

Each team will receive up to £5m to investigate these interventions and will work in collaboration with potential recipients for these treatments. 

The awards to UCL teams are as follows:

The mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of physical activity 
Professor Jonathan Roiser, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
Surprises as a mechanism of improvement in the psychological therapy of anxiety and depression in young people 
Professor Argyris Stringaris, Division of Psychiatry
Immune mechanisms of antipsychotic treatment response 
Dr Katharina Schmack, The Francis Crick Institute, UK and Division of Psychiatry, UCL
Learning mechanisms of pharmacological treatments for depression (RELMED) 
Professor Quentin Huys, Division of Psychiatry
EM-BODY: Interoceptive mechanisms of emotion in mental health treatment
Professor Sarah Garfinkel, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
This project is co-led with Dr Camilla Nord, University of Cambridge

You can read about the details of each project on the Wellcome Trust’s website.

Professor Anthony David, director of the Institute of Mental Health, said: 

“We are delighted that UCL researchers have done so well in the recent Wellcome awards for work that will lead to new interventions for anxiety, depression and psychosis.

“The Institute of Mental Health was set up almost five years ago to form a network for all those researchers at UCL interested in mental health, regardless of department or discipline, to put us in a unique position to help turn the tide on this global crisis.

“The projects exemplify the IoMH’s interdisciplinary ethos and our raison d’etre of bringing researchers together.”

• Professor Jonathan Roiser's academic profile 
• Professor Argyris Stringaris's academic profile 
• Dr Katharina Schmack's academic profile
• Professor Quentin Huys's academic profile
• Professor Sarah Garfinkel's academic profile
• UCL Division of Psychiatry
• UCL Brain Sciences
• UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
• UCL Institute of Mental Health

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