Our Latest Articles

In an era of increasing need for understanding mental health and neurodegenerative conditions, identifying links between the two could revolutionise our approach towards clinical care. My name is Lili, and I am a stem cell biologist working at King’s College London in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. I am part of a research group that uses cellular and molecular biology, as well as bioinformatics.

I have always wanted to understand how the brain works. When I was 6, my grandfather had a serious stroke. This always witty, happy, active man became quiet, sad, and unable to move the left side of his body. He stopped eating to try to end his life several times but was kept alive with feeding tubes until he passed 5 years later. Soon after, I came across the author Oliver Sacks. His books taught me that the brain doesn't just support who we are; it is who we are.

The question surrounding the innate and cultural forces that can shape an individual goes as far as biology and social sciences go. Psychiatry can be understood as a hybrid medical speciality. While biological factors, such as genetics, hormones, and brain structure and function, play a crucial role in explaining the mechanisms of mental health disorders, the field is also deeply shaped by social influences. Our environment and life experiences profoundly affect how we feel