The past year has been a highly successful one for our research, with no less than 490 papers published and 111 preprints. A number of these received widespread media coverage, showcasing both the impact and the breadth of our research. These included studies on the shingles vaccine, COVID-19, online therapies, triptans, and blood biomarkers for dementia.
Reflecting the prominence of our research, the latest Clarivate Highly Cited researchers list, which recognises those whose work is cited in the top 1% of their field globally, shows that the Department of Psychiatry punches well above its weight - seven of our academics are on the list.
Meanwhile 275 grant applications were supported in the Department, with 67 awards commenced. The Mood Disorder Workstream of the Office for Life Sciences/NIHR-funded Mental Health Mission secured an additional £18 million to support the development of mood disorder research clinics in the UK (Oxford, IOPPN, Newcastle, Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Exeter, Southampton) as well as setting up new clinics (UCL, Cambridge, Bristol, Cardiff, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Glasgow).
Amedeo Minichino secured a Wellcome Early Career Fellowship, which he will commence in the new year, investigating how to improve the tolerability and efficacy of antipsychotics harnessing the gut microbiome.
Lahiru Handunnetthi was awarded significant funding from NC3Rs to upscale human stem cell assays to detect autoantibodies in central nervous system disease.
A new type of MEG scanner, using OPMs (Optically Pumped Magnetometers), has been installed in OHBA. It was funded by Innovate UK Quantum Catalyst Phase 2, in collaboration with Cerca Magnetics. OPM MEG has many practical advantages compared to traditional MEG and adds to the range of brain imaging techniques available in the Department.
We were delighted that Rachel Upthegrove joined us from Birmingham in the summer to become a senior researcher and Director of the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), as well as playing a key role in the Mental Health Mission and the Translational Research Collaboration. Other key appointments include Mina Fazel to Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (vice Alan Stein), Ole Jensen to the Chair of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience (vice Kia Nobre).
The Broadening Horizons travel grant scheme has continued to be a great success, with 24 early career researchers benefitting, and is now in its fourth round of applications. We have also launched an award into intellectual disability in memory of our late colleague Valeria Frighi and we will announce the successful applicant for that in the new year.
Finally, we pay tribute to John Geddes, a past Head of Department, who has now stood down from being Director of the Oxford Health BRC and who will be retiring from the WA Handley Chair. John will not be leaving us entirely, but this does mark the end of an era, and we thank him for his many outstanding contributions over the past thirty years.