Research Roundup: January – February 2026
Welcome to the latest roundup of research from South London and Maudsley, featuring the latest findings, and opportunities to get involved from across the Trust and our partners, as well as updates from our Research & Development team.
The start of 2026 has brought a wave of activity, including new national investment in mental health research; major studies such as PIONEER‑MH examining crisis pathways; research projects exploring topics such as AI and the impact of social media on young people. As ever, there are plenty of opportunities for staff to get involved, through fellowships, training and events – including the launch of the flagship lecture series, Maudsley Talks, which showcases world-leading insight, research, and clinical practice.
This February, the NIHR announced it is investing almost £55 million in five NIHR Mental Health Research Groups (MHRGs) to boost mental health research in areas of England that have a high burden of mental illness and limited capacity to carry out research to tackle it. This includes people in rural and coastal communities, mothers, university students, and people who "fall through the gaps" of current services, such as those with intellectual disabilities or complex emotional needs, with a focus throughout on inclusion of marginalised groups.
King’s College London and South London and Maudsley researchers will collaborate on three of the five new groups, partnering with the University of Plymouth, Keele University and Lancaster University and local NHS Trusts, to focus on locally identified mental health priorities. The funding represents a significant opportunity to work more closely with NHS partners to address the realities seen every day in clinics. According to the Mental Health Foundation, people living in the most deprived areas of England are 64% more likely to experience a common mental disorder than those in the least deprived areas.
In addition to these groups, it was also announced that King’s will play a major role in the UK government’s £50 million Mental Health Goals (MHG) programme. King’s and NIHR Maudsley BRC researchers will co-lead two of the four programme workstreams, bringing together clinical and academic expertise to transform mental health data, clinical trials and industry partnerships.
Over £10 million of this new MHG funding will support the development of the world’s largest nationally representative ‘multi-omics’ dataset for severe depression, which builds on the existing Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) study, led by the NIHR Maudsley Bioresource. Over the last five years, more than 9,000 people have been recruited to the GLAD Study through South London and Maudsley.
We encourage you to share research participation opportunities with colleagues and service users, from the GLAD Study and beyond. The involvement of South London and Maudsley’s research community is central to ensuring this work delivers meaningful benefits for the people we serve.
Professor Fiona Gaughran, Research and Development Director, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Updates from the Research and Development team
Accelerating Research Approvals - Funding Call
The Joint Research & Development Office of SLaM and IoPPN, and the Research Approval Process (RAP) group have teamed up to offer this funding opportunity, which aims to support the development and implementation of initiatives to streamline research approvals process and improve the experience of applying to the Joint R&D Office.
Submission deadline: Friday 27 March 2026
For enquiries, please contact Dale.Batham@kcl.ac.uk or Abnash.Chauhan@kcl.ac.uk
New website for NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility
The NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility (CRF), situated at King’s College Hospital and hosted by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, has launched its new website: www.kingscrf.nihr.ac.uk
The NIHR King’s CRF is a group of purpose-built facilities at King’s College Hospital which support the delivery of commercial and non-commercial research. Focusing on early-phase and complex studies, CRFs exist to speed up the translation of scientific advances for the benefits of patients. It specialises in supporting clinical trials in mental health, neurology, rheumatology, and haematology, but also research which explores the diagnosis, management, and treatment of rare health conditions.
Joint R&D Office update on 150-day target for clinical trial set-up
We will provide regular updates here on the progress of the Joint R&D Office of South London and Maudsley and IoPPN to reach new targets from the UK government to speed up the time it takes to set-up clinical trials:
Take part in mental health research
Life-changing research needs everyone to get involved. We are proud to be the leading mental health Trust for research participation in England. Join a study and shape the future of mental health treatments and care: Search for a study on our website.
Sign up to join the PIONEER M-H Study - Share your views on the impact of the Right Care Right Person strategy
Our Trust is one of the organisations taking part in PIONEER-MH, a £1.3 million study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The study is looking at the impact of the ‘Right Care, Right Person’ approach, which is changing how police, NHS, social care and voluntary sector services respond to mental health crisis calls.
The study is collecting perspectives from:
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People with lived experience of a mental health crisis.
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Family members or friends who have sought crisis help for someone they care about.
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Professionals working in services that respond to mental health crises, including NHS mental health services, A&E, ambulance, police, and voluntary sector organisations.
If you would like to find out more about the project, or get involved, you can contact the research team at researchdeliveryteam@slam.nhs.uk.
Research news from the Trust and partners
Maudsley Talks lecture series kicks off with inaugural presentation from Professor Carmine Pariante (4 March 2026)
On Wednesday 25 February, Professor Carmine Pariante launched Maudsley Talks, a new lecture series designed to showcase world-leading insight, research, and clinical practice. With more than 100 people in attendance both in person and online, Professor Pariante talked about his research in perinatal psychiatry, the mental health of women during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth.
Professor Paola Dazzan Awarded the European Psychiatric Association Constance Pascal – Helen Boyle Prize
Professor Dazzan, who has roles in King’s IoPPN and NIHR Maudsley BRC and is also a clinician and Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist in the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, was presented the award for Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in Working to Improve Mental Health Care in Europe.
First in Europe: high-performance head-only scanner reveals ultra-fine brain detail (13 Feb 2026)
The Centre of Neuroimaging Sciences (CNS) at Denmark Hill is now home to a new investigational GE HealthCare MAGNUS 3T MRI scanner, the first of its calibre in Europe. The MAGNUS system is one of the first high-performance head-only scanners, specialised for brain imaging. The scanner will be available for use by researchers across the IoPPN, NIHR Maudsley BRC, the King’s Maudsley Partnership, King’s School of Dentistry and clinicians in King’s Health Partners.
Putting community engagement into practice: improving the accessibility of information about child and adolescent mental health services locally (10 Feb 2026)
In this blog, Dr Shuo Zhang, Wellcome Trust Clinical Doctoral Fellow, shares her experiences of working with colleagues within South London and Maudsley in collaboration with community partners to develop accessible information about CAMHS.
Implementing digital interventions: Aligning evidence-based innovation (10 Feb 2026)
Discover highlights from an event which explored how digital health interventions can be effectively implemented within the NHS, in line with the Department of Health and Social Care’s 10-Year Health Plan for England.
New funding for UK mental health research in under-served areas (4 Feb 2026)
The NIHR is investing almost £55 million in five additional Mental Health Research Groups (MHRGs). King’s College London and South London and Maudsley researchers will collaborate on three of the five new groups.
King’s College London plays major role in £50 million government funded programme into mental health research (29 Jan 2026)
Researchers at King's, University of Oxford and Cardiff University will help transform mental health data, clinical trials and industry partnerships as part of the UK Government’s Mental Health Goals programme. King’s and NIHR Maudsley BRC researchers will co-lead two of the four programme workstreams, bringing together clinical and academic expertise.
Connecting Eating Disorders Research and Art: Stories in Shape & Sound (27 Jan 2026)
The EDIFY Programme celebrated the work of its four Artists in Residence during a recent exhibition and panel discussion titled Stories in Shape & Sound. EDIFY is a four-year programme of research focused on how we understand and treat eating disorders in young people. One of the four artists, Ivana Picek is a clinician in the Eating Disorders Service at South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Young people may temporarily withdraw from social media use on the day they self-harm (21 Jan 2026)
New research has examined the image-posting habits on social media of young people who self-harm. The study found that young people temporarily withdraw from posting images on the day they self-harm. This is part of the 3S-YP study which is investigating how social media and smartphone use is associated with changes in mental health and self-harm in young people, and is a partnership between researchers at King’s IoPPN and South London and Maudsley.
New interactive tool ELAXIR helps to empower patients in the ethical use of AI in healthcare (15 Jan 2026)
ELAXIR is a new tool designed improve AI literacy and raise awareness of the ethical challenges of using AI in healthcare. It aims to strengthen understanding of key terminology and concepts, as well as promote discussion and reflection among healthcare professionals, patients, the public, researchers, and AI developers.
Brain stimulation device cleared for ADHD in the US is overall safe but ineffective (16 Jan 2026)
A large multicentre clinical trial with 150 children and adolescents has shown that a device - which uses an approach called trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) - cleared by the US FDA to treat ADHD is not effective in reducing symptoms.
Professor Robert Goodman
Obituary: Robert Goodman, child psychiatrist whose mental health screening method is used worldwide
Professor Goodman spent almost his entire career at South London and Maudsley and the IoPPN, becoming one of the leading names in children’s mental health. He is the primary inventor of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Development and Wellbeing Assessment (DAWBA). These are psychiatric assessment instruments that are now employed worldwide.
The One Show
BBC, 3 Feb 2026 (at 2:00 minutes)
The One Show visits a project supporting new dads with their mental health – a singing group developed from the Breathe Melodies for Mums project, led by Professor Carmine Pariante.
Study finds 10% of over-70s in UK could have Alzheimer’s-like changes in brain
The study uses a simple blood test to detect proteins which are linked with Alzeihmer’s, and showed that more than 1 million over-70s could meet Nice’s clinical criteria for anti-amyloid therapy. It was led by Professor Dag Arsland, Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, King's IoPPN and Head of the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Brain Health at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Events and opportunities
Join the Research at the Trust Viva Engage group to get the latest updates (SLaM staff only).
NIHR Maudsley BRC: 2026 Preparatory Clinical Research Training Fellowships
Deadline: 23:59 on Monday 16 March 2026
Up to four fellowships are available for:
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Clinical trainees (CT2–ST6)
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Nurses, allied health professionals, and clinical psychologists (Bands 6–8A top)
These posts support those committed to translational research careers in mental health, clinical neuroscience, or physical–mental health interface research.
Maudsley Talks: Professor Lade Smith | Breaking the cycle - could early intervention reduce psychiatric illness?
Date: Wednesday 25 March, 6-7.30pm | Online | Register on Eventbrite
Dr Smith will provide an evidence-based review of how parents, professionals and all the services that support children can avoid them becoming forensic mental health patients.
Research Club
Date: Thursday 26 March, 2-3pm | Online | Enrol in the Recovery College to join
The Research Club is a collaboration between the SLaM recovery college and Lived Experience Research Ambassadors. The sessions involve researchers talking about their findings and how the research has shed light on how improve their current work and treatments as clinicians. A participant of the study often attends and explains what it was like to take part in the research study.
Joint R&D Office Wednesday Walk‑In
Dates: First Wednesday of each month, 10:00–15:00 | Upcoming: 1 April 2026 | Location: Room W1.12 (first floor, near the KCL SU), IoPPN Main Building
The Joint Research and Development Office (IoPPN / SLaM) supports researchers planning projects within the Trust, ensuring ethical, contractual, and regulatory compliance. Drop in with questions or email: slam-ioppn.research@kcl.ac.uk Event link
King’s Clinical Academic Training Office: Discover Research
Date: Thursday 19 March 2026 | Time: 16:00–20:00 | Location: St George’s Hospital, Tooting
An in‑person conference for early‑career health professional researchers, showcasing research priorities across South London through the NIHR INSIGHT Programme. Register here
KCATO: Writing Fellowship Applications
Date: Wednesday 25 March 2026 | Time: 12:30–13:30 | Format: Online (Teams)
Join Prof Michael Malim, Dr Billie Lever Taylor and James Sun for guidance on preparing a competitive first fellowship application. Register here
Apply Now: The 2026 Claire Nacamuli Prize on Postnatal Depression
Prize: £1,250 | Deadline: 30 April 2026
The Psychiatry Research Trust is now accepting applications for the 2026 Claire Nacamuli Prize, recognising innovative research by an early‑career researcher on postnatal depression. Click here for more information
11th Mediterranean Maudsley Forum (MMF)
Dates: 25–28 May 2026 | Location: Palermo
The MMF is open to psychiatrists and all mental health professionals, covering recent updates in clinical and academic psychiatry. This year’s speakers include world‑leading experts in psychosis, CBT for trauma, sleep, affective disorders, dual diagnosis, ASD and ADHD, psychiatric genetics, neuropsychiatry, women’s mental health, and more. Programme and registration
