Research Roundup – February/March
Pictured: The Trust hosted a workshop on public and community engagement in research, as part of the INSIGHT Programme , in collaboration with Shaping Our Lives .
Read on to find the latest research news from across the Trust and its partners, as well as media coverage, events and opportunities.
Updates from the Research and Development team:
Event: Speak to the Joint Research and Development Office about running a research study in South London and Maudsley (29 April, 12:30 - 13:30)
If you have questions about setting up and running a research study at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, then join one of our upcoming Monthly Mingle events taking place every month until June 2025. These drop-in lunches with the Joint Research and Development Office are a chance for staff, students and researchers to ask study-specific or general questions while enjoying a free lunch. Meet with staff from the Research & Development team, King’s CRF, King’s Clinical Trials Office and more. Register for a drop-in lunch with the Joint R&D Office.
Take Part in Research
Featured study: STORY (Characterising Illness Stages, Progression, and Recovery Trajectories of Eating Disorders in Young People)
Researchers are inviting young people from all across the UK to take part in a new study about the diverse experiences of young people with eating disorders growing up today. What factors make a person’s recovery journey quicker or slower, easier or harder? Find out more about taking part in the STORY study
Research News
Safewards awarded first-ever NIHR Impact Prize
The Safewards team at King’s College London and City St George’s, University of London has been awarded one of the first NIHR Impact Prizes. These awards recognise major improvements in health over the last two decades, driven by research and scientific advances. The Safewards model has been shown to create calmer and safer mental health wards for patients and staff, reducing both conflict and containment. Safewards has been introduced at hundreds of inpatient settings in the UK, and has been included in a number of government policies in the UK and around the world.
Three quarters of people who have taken antidepressants say they were helpful
75% of a sample of nearly 20,000 people who have taken selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) report they found them helpful , finds new research from King's IoPPN. The study explored different factors that could explain why SSRIs – a common form of antidepressants – work for some people with major depressive disorder, but not others.
New research shows that the ethnicity of mental health research participants at South London and Maudsley represents that of the local population served
In this blog, Dr Aikaterini Dima, Core Psychiatry Trainee at the Maudsley Training Programme and Dr Juliana Onwumere, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Reader in Clinical Psychology at King’s College London and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust explore how well the ethnicity of mental health research participants aligns with the local population served .
New Deputy Director of NIHR Maudsley BRC announced
Professor Richard Dobson has been appointed as Deputy Director of the NIHR Maudsley BRC following a competitive call earlier this year. Professor Dobson is also Theme Lead for Informatics and holds a dual appointment as Professor of Health and Medical Informatics at King's College London and at the Institute of Health Informatics, University College London.
Co-development of patient reported-outcome measures
Niamh Molloy, NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre PhD Student in the Department of Psychology, King's IoPPN, explores in this blog how people with lived experience are contributing to developing outcome measures in mental health research.
In the Media
BBC Radio 4
Trouble Staying Still: ADHD's Identity Crisis
Professor Sally Marlow, Professor of Practice in Public Understanding of Mental Health Research, King’s IoPPN, explores the archive to reveal the changing faces of ADHD, and asks why it still grabs the headlines and why there are so many contradictions surrounding it.
Events and Opportunities
Research Roadshow
- Thursday 10 April, 11:00 – 14:00, National Psychosis Unit – no registration needed, just drop-in, open to all staff, service users and the public
- Find out about a wide range of opportunities for staff, services users and carers to learn more about, and get involved in research
Research Club
- Thursday 24 April, 14:00 – 15:00, Online - All welcome - Enrol in the Research Club
- Topic TBC
Monthly mingle: Drop-in lunch with the Joint R&D Office
- Tuesday 29 April, 12:30 - 13:30, Maudsley Hospital Boardroom (Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ) - Register for the drop-in lunch
- Find out how the Joint R&D Office can support you in running a study at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) Drop In
- Wednesday 30 April 2025, 09.00-12.00 , in the NIHR Maudsley BRC Hot Desk room (M3.04) at the Centre for Translational Informatics, 3rd Floor, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Denmark Hill Campus
- For advice and support in using CRIS for a research study , or to find out more about CRIS and the study support we offer, attend the next CRIS Drop In morning
- Contact cris.administrator@slam.nhs.uk for more information.
Supporting Clinical Professionals - Consent for Contact (C4C) training
- Thursday, 15 May, 10:00 – 11:00, Online – Register with this form
- This course is for Clinical Professionals who have minimal to no experience with using the Consent for Contact (C4C) research register in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. This standalone training is aimed at clinical professionals at King's/SLaM who are looking to safely and professionally upload and amend C4C forms on the electronic Patient Journey System (ePJS).
- If you have any further queries, please contact the C4C inbox directly at c4c@slam.nhs.uk.
Link between Eating disorders and Autism: PEACE pathway Conference
- Tuesday 20 May, 9:00 – 16:00, Online – Register for PEACE Pathway Conference
- The PEACE Pathway is an innovative Pathway for Eating disorders and Autism developed from Clinical Experience. We will be presenting an overview of our work, including outcomes, learning points and specially developed resources for clinicians and teams of health professionals working in this area.
International Clinical Trials Day
- Tuesday 20 May, 10:00 – 15:00, Outpatients Waiting Room, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ; Open to all, just drop-in
- International Clinical Trials Day celebrates patients and members of the public getting involved in research. Drop-in and speak to staff and researchers about how you can take part in research.
King's Clinical Academic Research Symposium
- Monday 9 June, 12:30 – 19:00, 8th Floor, Bush House , 30 Aldwych London WC2B 4BG – Register on Eventbrite
- Whether you’re a student or health professional thinking about embarking on a short piece of research or a PhD; someone already enrolled on a PhD and looking to understand postdoc funding; or a postdoc approaching consultant level, this is a fantastic opportunity to understand how your career can evolve, see your research valued, and be inspired to take your next steps.
Fully Funded MSc courses in Clinical Research Delivery for Mental Health Practitioners 2025
- The NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) Mental Health Mission (MHM), in partnership with King’s College London are offering fully funded MSc courses in Clinical Research Delivery. This is an exciting opportunity for mental health practitioners who want to start or advance their career in clinical research.
- For entry requirements and other information, please visit:Clinical Research Delivery | King’s College London
