I AM A PSYCHIATRIST who studies psychosis spectrum illness and bipolar disorder. I have both clinical and research interests in early intervention; optimising outcomes in severe mental illness; physical healthcare promotion; co-morbid substance misuse; treatment resistance; and health service research and reform.

I have recently joined UNSW Australia from the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, UK. I am keen to develop collaborations- locally, nationally, and internationally- in these fields and more widely in the study of real-world mental health outcomes. I will supervise ILP students in these research areas.

I continue to retain strong links with the AESOP-10 study, which tracked outcomes over 10 years in over 500 individuals with first episode psychosis. Together with my colleagues, I am exploring the diversity of clinical, social and occupational outcomes experienced by people following psychotic illness in order to try to better understand how to enable recovery. I believe in the need to improve clinical services by applying research findings. I led service development of the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust’s Early Intervention Pathway prior to my move to Australia in 2014. Physical healthcare and holistic care in severe mental illness are key interests for translation of research into practice.

Through my association with NDARC, the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, I collaborate on research into comorbid substance misuse in severe mental illness: the role of crystal methamphetamine in the development of psychotic illness; integrated care interventions in comorbid substance use and mental illness; cognitive effects of alcohol, cannabis, and crystal methamphetamine use.