Our experts

Area of Expertise

• Neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD, ADHD, Tourette’s Syndrome) and co-occurring mental health problems including anxiety, depression, OCD, bipolar disorder
• Psychological assessment and modified psychological interventions for chronic health conditions and rare diseases, such as Rett syndrome, Mucopolysaccharidosis, Septo-optic Dysplasia and Acquired brain injury
• Modified cognitive behaviour therapy for children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health problems
• Modified psychological interventions for chronic health conditions and rare diseases
• Strategic leadership, service development and quality improvement projects

 

Background

Dr Ruksana Ahmed is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with the Centre for Interventional Paediatric Psychopharmacology and Rare Diseases (CIPPRD) and has been part of the service since its inception in 2005.

Dr Ahmed’s areas of clinical expertise and role includes working with children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions and co-occurring mental health problems and learning disabilities. Dr Ahmed also leads on and completes highly specialist assessments and provides modified psychological interventions for children and young people with the above complex profiles and chronic health conditions and rare diseases. Dr Ahmed also provides clinical psychology input to the multi-disciplinary neuropsychiatric clinics that CIPPRD provide to The Children’s Trust which is a national neuro-rehabilitation centre for children with brain injury.

More recently, Dr Ahmed has contributed to the development of and is a member of the clinical and research team for the Centre for Personalised Medicine for Rett Syndrome (CPMRS). This is a new service that provides psychopharmacological services for Rett Syndrome patients across the life span. The CPMRS focusses on providing holistic specialist care, conducting clinical trials, and developing digital health strategies to monitor and manage patients, whilst conducting research. The service provides holistic care and closely liaises with other specialties as Rett syndrome is a multi-systemic disorder. The CPMRS is recognized as an international Centre of Excellence in providing care for Rett syndrome and Dr Ahmed leads on the psychological assessments, interventions and consultation provided as part of CPMRS. Dr Ahmed also provides highly specialist supervision, training and consultation to multi-disciplinary and multi-agency professionals and teams across the UK.

Dr Ahmed has held several clinical and lead posts within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in London and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These roles have included Psychological Therapies Lead within CAMHS at East London NHS Foundation Trust and CAMHS Lead Psychologist – Maudsley Health, UAE. In addition to Dr Ahmed’s clinical experience, her leadership and strategic experience has included lead roles within the transformation of CAMHS community services for children with a range of mental health conditions, neurodevelopmental conditions and learning disabilities across East London.

Dr Ahmed is an Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust and is also an Honorary Lecturer within the Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology at University College London. Dr Ahmed is also a senior member of and contributed to the development of the CAMHS Neuropsychology CPD group in the Trust.

Dr Ahmed is also an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Education and Training

• BSc (Hons) Psychological Sciences, University of Westminster
• Doctorate Clinical Psychology, Salomons Canterbury Christ Church University
• PGDip in Clinical Paediatric Neuropsychology, University College London
• Management & Leadership for Clinicians, The King’s Fund
• Strategic & Clinical Leadership Programme, East London NHS Foundation Trust
• RSR Facilitator Training, South London & Maudsley NHS Trust

Publications

Ahmed, R. (2020). The Reverse Rett Podcast with Dr Ruksana Ahmed. – Reverse Rett Podcast, Episode #3
https://www.reverserett.org.uk/families/episode-3-dr-ruksana-ahmed/

Ahmed, R (2020) Psychological interventions. In: Bernard, S., & McCarthy, J (Eds.), Mental Health Needs of Children and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities 2nd edition (pp.115-127). Pavilion Publishing & Media, UK.

McPartlan, L., Ahmed, R., Vellodi, A., Santosh, P. (2011). Behavioural aspects of Gaucher’s disease- An explorative study. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, 102 (2), pp. 28-29.

Santosh, P.J. & Ahmed, R. (2008). Neuroimaging in children and adolescents with Psychiatric Disorders. In J. Reed & J. Warner-Rogers (Eds.), Child Neuropsychology: Concepts, Theory and Practice (pp.92-111). Wiley-Blackwell, USA.

Gillison, F., Hajek, P. and Ahmed, R. (2002). Randomized comparative study of nicotine sublingual tablet and nicotine chewing gum. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 4 (242-243).