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Rachel Upthegrove

MBE, MBBS, FRCPsych, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry, Director NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre

  • Chair NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC)
  • Co-lead Early Psychosis, Molecular Targets BRC Theme
  • Professor of Psychiatry and Youth Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham
  • Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist, Early Intervention in Psychosis
  • Honorary General Secretary, British Association for Psychopharmacology

Early Psychosis, Severe Mental Illness, Immunopsychiatry, Multimorbidity

Rachel trained in Medicine at the Royal Free Hospital, University of London and completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham, investigating depression and suicidality in first episode psychosis. Her research focuses on the identification of novel treatments for early stages of severe mental illness with focus on co-morbidity.

She leads the Psychosis Immune Mechanism Stratified Medicine Study (PIMS), a collaborative multi-stage project investigating inflammatory mechanisms and phenotypic profile of psychosis. PIMS is currently completing a targeted trial of Tocilizumab in patients with early psychosis and evidence of immune activation.

Rachel is chief investigator and co-investigator on a number of NIHR funded trials for repurposed and targeted treatments, including the NIHR HTA ADEPP study (Antidepressants for the prevention of depression following first episode psychosis).

Her translational research includes NIHR funded Early Psychosis Informatics into Care (EPICare), a collaborative project developing a national digital registry and clinical decision support system for patients and clinicians in early intervention services. 

Recent publications

More publications