Edoardo G. Ostinelli

My research focuses on implementing evidence-based medicine in real-world practice, developing and optimising both precision medicine and shared decision-making to ensure people's voice is heard. I work closely with colleagues in precision medicine, statistics, and clinical decision-making (Universities of Bern, Copenhagen, Harvard, Kyoto, London, Munich, Ottawa, Tokyo, Southampton, and Toronto).

I developed the PETRUSHKA web-tool in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science (UOxford). The PETRUSHKA tool is an online interactive clinical decision support system (CDSS) which seeks to individualise treatment with antidepressants for depression in adults, using 1) data from randomised controlled trials, 2) data from observational studies, and 3) preferences elicited in real-time by individual patients using the PETRUSHKA tool. I was also the Lead Investigator in the UK for the randomised controlled trial evaluating the PETRUSHKA tool in the United Kingdom and Canada. Discover more on the PETRUSHKA trial here!

I am currently leading the development of an enhanced version of the tool, designed to incorporate genetic data with the aim of improving clinical care. By integrating genetic information, we seek to guide treatment choices across multiple antidepressants for depression. In parallel, we are using available data to better characterise individual patient profiles. For example, two adults with depression may achieve the same score on a rating questionnaire, yet their experiences and trajectories could be entirely different - nuances not captured by a metric alone. Personal preferences and values also play a significant role, which is why a substantial part of my research focuses on shared decision-making. Finally, I place strong emphasis on ensuring that realistic expectations are communicated regarding both the potential benefits and the possible side effects of treatment. This commitment underpins the final stream of my research: the communication of benefits and harms in medical interventions.

While the majority of my work within the OxPPL group focuses on depression, international collaborations have provided valuable opportunities to extend my research into other areas, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, migraine, and many others.

I also lecture on different subject areas related to psychiatry and research methodology for the MSc Clinical and Therapeutic Neuroscience Course within the University of Oxford; precision mental health at the Master in Evidence-based therapeutic approaches and evaluation methods for prevention and early intervention in mental health within the University of Verona; evidence synthesis methodology and how to perform basic and advanced meta-analysis on R at the Oxford Course on Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis for the University of Oxford; communication of benefit-risk information from network meta-analyses at the Oxford Course in Network Meta-Analysis for the University of Oxford.