NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
@nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
740 followers 170 following 89 posts
We are part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research and hosted by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London. www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk #mentalhealth
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Reposted by NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
camhsdlab.bsky.social
WATCH NOW 🎥

It's finally here: our first RESEARCH EXPLORED video. Produced in partnership with @elstreescreenarts.bsky.social, this RESEARCH EXPLORED video dives into a project at @kingsioppn.bsky.social looking at 'expressed emotion' - how parents talk about their children.

youtu.be/HVGUd0ipJv0
RESEARCH EXPLORED: The Five Minute Speech Sample
YouTube video by CAMHS Digital Lab
youtu.be
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
✂️Join us for a creative workshop exploring new research into #loneliness and substance use.

Hosted by NIHR Maudsley BRC researchers, Artizine and McPin Foundation | Part of #ESRCFestival of Social Science

🗓️Tues 4 Nov, 2-6pm
📍Peckham Levels
🎟️Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/zine-makin...
zine workshop: stories of loneliness and substance use
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Join a #PredictionModelling presentation with Dr oliverpain.bsky.social (Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow @kingsioppn.bsky.social ) discussing Polygenic scores and learnings from his work developing the #GenoPred pipeline.

➡️Wed 1 Oct, 3-4pm, Online
www.kcl.ac.uk/events/polyg...
Prediction Modelling presentations: Polygenic Scores in Practice: Standardisation, Missing Variants, and Lessons from GenoPred
Reposted by NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
kingscollegelondon.bsky.social
“Paracetamol is safe in pregnancy.” King's expert Professor Gráinne McAlonan, @kingsioppn.bsky.social, has been speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live about the evidence that taking paracetamol (known as Tylenol in the US) is harmless during pregnancy.

@nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Title page against blue background with the heading: "No link between tylenol during pregnancy and autism"
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Prof Gráinne McAlonan, Director of NIHR Maudsley BRC, discusses the claims that taking paracetamol while pregnant causes #autism on @bbc5live.bsky.social

@nihr.bsky.social @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @rickedwards1.bsky.social

Listen at 1:46:24 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... 📻
IN THE NEWS: "There is no scientific evidence that paracetamol use in pregnancy causes autism ... We think that the most likely explanation of autism is that it results from a really complex mix of genes 
and the environment.” Professor Gráinne McAlonan
Director, NIHR Maudsley BRC
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Our Culture, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (CEDI) Impact Award is now open for submissions.

The award celebrates the efforts of researchers who have made significant contributions to research, and demonstrate impact in advancing CEDI principles.

www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/equ...
Photo of people in a coffee shop talking and smiling
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
A new systematic review shows psychological support matters in #KidneyDisease care.

CBT, self-confidence training and exercise programmes help people with chronic kidney disease feel more confident, improve mood and enhance physical function.

www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/s...
Psychological support could improve care for people with kidney disease, new study shows. “Too often, psychological support only reaches people once they have kidney failure. Our research shows the benefits of bringing this support earlier, helping people feel more in control, stay physically active, 
and potentially reduce the impact of chronic 
kidney disease on daily life..” Pooja Schmill, NIHR Maudsley BRC Doctoral Student at the IoPPN and lead author of the study
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Around 90% of middle-aged and older #autistic adults are undiagnosed in the UK and face higher rates of mental and physical health conditions.

Research led by Dr Gavin Stewart & Prof Francesca Happé; funded by @britishacademy.bsky.social @nihr.bsky.social

www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/a...
Around 90% of middle-aged and older autistic adults are undiagnosed in the UK / "Understanding the needs of autistic people as they age is a pressing global public health concern. As autistic people age, the nature of the challenges they face changes. We must adopt a lifespan approach that funds long-term research, integrates tailored healthcare, and expands social supports so that ageing autistic people can live happy and healthy lives." / Professor Francesca Happé, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, King’s IoPPN and Co-author
Reposted by NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
arc-southlondon.bsky.social
Issues with data quality are limiting our ability to effectively evaluate the impact of remote consultations in England, say researchers from the three NIHR London ARCs 👇

arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk/news-insight...
Graphic from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) featuring the NIHR logo and a quote from Professor Robert Stewart, applied informatics lead at ARC South London. The quote reads:
“Effective data linkage is essential to track patient journeys across primary and secondary care and assess the impact of remote consultations on their outcomes. The establishment of a new network of Secure Data Environments should improve access to NHS data through shared and secure working practices, including sharing methods and coding.”

To the right, there is an illustration of a computer screen showing a video consultation between a patient (represented with a house icon) and a healthcare provider (represented with a medical cross icon). Speech bubbles indicate communication between them.
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
New research has found that #loneliness is a risk factor for poorer healthcare outcomes in people with substance use disorders.

The study used data from @maudsleynhs.bsky.social, accessed via the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) platform.

www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/a...
Recognising loneliness in people with substance use disorders
“Our findings show that loneliness is a significant risk factor for increased mental health symptoms and poorer healthcare outcomes in people with substance use disorders. This highlights the importance of routinely asking about, and recording, patients’ feelings of loneliness which can often be overlooked in discussions in healthcare services.” Dr Mariana Pinto da Costa, NIHR Maudsley BRC CEDI Lead
Reposted by NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
Reposted by NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
A significant proportion of children with Biliary Atresia, a rare and serious early-onset liver condition, may face challenges in communication, motor skills and social interaction, research from @kingsioppn.bsky.social, funded by @nihr.bsky.social finds.

www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/j...
New research indicates that early-onset 
liver disease in childhood adversely 
affects the developing brain - “Even before the age of two, a sizeable number of these children show brain developmental delays. The finding that a higher than expected number infants with Bilary Artersia also have autistic rates suggests an impact on social communication, a novel finding for this cohort.” - Dr Megan Earl, Research Associate, King’s IoPPN
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
BBC Radio 4's Inside Health interviewed Professor Sir John Strang (Deputy Lead of our Pain and Addictions theme) to see how he is experimenting with new ways of tackling rising drug deaths: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Drug-related deaths are at their highest levels in England and Wales since records began 30 years ago. Professor Sir John Strang, from 
our BRC’s Pain & Addictions theme, was
joined by BBC presenter James Gallagher 
at the NIHR King’s Clinical Research 
Facility where he is exploring new ways 
of tackling rising deaths.
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Researchers have linked records from @maudsleynhs.bsky.social and the DWP using CRIS, to understand how people with mental health problems use the #UniversalCredit system. They identified groups which may benefit from individualised support: www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/j...
Image of Dr Sarah Leden. 
New Research
Universal Credit: how people who have accessed mental health services journey through the welfare system
“This research can help identify key barriers in accessing and returning to work; and suggests which groups of people may need greater support to help them back into employment. People stuck searching for work longest weren’t necessarily those with the most severe mental health  problems, suggesting other barriers like local  job opportunities, caring responsibilities  or skills gaps were the real barriers.”
Dr Sarah Ledden, Research Associate, King’s IoPPN
Reposted by NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
kingsioppn.bsky.social
@nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social PhD Student, Jason Grant-Rowles, attended this year's Circle U. Summer School in Paris, exploring global health challenges, economic influences, decolonisation, environmental health & more.

He recaps the week in his new blog: www.kcl.ac.uk/a-parisian-s...
Man smiling at camera holding A3 poster Group of 25 people smiling at the camera outdoors Group of people smiling at the camera on a boat
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
New research funded by @nihr.bsky.social and the MRC shows that negative school experiences generate twice the emotional burden in #autistic and #ADHD adolescents compared to their peers, and this is significantly correlated with depression and anxiety.

www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/j...
“Understanding why young people with ADHD and autism are at increased risk of mental health problems is an essential step in developing new interventions to improve the mental health 
of neurodivergent people.” Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke, Theme lead for Child Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, NIHR Maudsley BRC
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Research which is investigating why ketamine could be a good treatment for some people with depression, has discovered that the drug’s antidepressant effects involve the brain’s opioid system.

The study was supported by @nihr.bsky.social and the MRC.

www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/j...
Dr Luke Jelen, lead author of the study and a Clinical Lecturer in Psychiatry at IoPPN King’s College London, said:

“Ketamine often makes the news for negative reasons. However, at a low dose, ketamine shows enormous potential to offer relief from the symptoms of depression.”

“Understanding whether the opioid system is involved ketamine’s antidepressant effects is a really important question, given how much we still don't know about how ketamine works. “Our study shows that the opioid system is involved and offers insight into how it contributes to ketamine’s effects.”
Reposted by NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
kingsioppn.bsky.social
Living along a polluted street could affect your brain health as you age.

New research from IoPPN, @ucl.ac.uk, @uniofleicester.bsky.social and Alzheimer's Research UK has found high levels of pollution can lead to cognitive decline and small amounts of relief can help

www.kcl.ac.uk/news/air-pol...
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Congratulations to Morwenna Rickard, one of our PhD students, who has received @nihr.bsky.social SPARC funding for a 3-month placement at @oxhealthbrc.bsky.social: www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/j...
"This is a great opportunity to learn from experts in the field and explore new approaches to treatment, as well as expanding my skills and building new collaborations. I'm excited to get stuck in!'”
nihrmaudsleybrc.bsky.social
Read new #AirPollution research part-funded by our BRC and led by Professor Ioannis Bakolis: maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/posts/2025/j... @thelancet.com