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About the AMHDM Series
The present series is one of the outcomes of a project organised by Early Career Researchers (ECRs) from EDIFY to showcase and reflect on science communication activities across a range of research programmes that were funded by the UKRI “Adolescence, Mental Health and the Developing Mind” (AMHDM) initiative. Having received an “Early Career Researchers – Networking and Knowledge Dissemination” award from UKRI, Dr Tine Opitz and her colleagues organised a mixture of training and networking activities to facilitate and enhance wider public impact from the AMHDM-funded programmes. The current article series is a collaborative project that allows ECRs and youth advisors from associated programmes to reflect on research processes, public engagement, as well as their roles and identities within their research environment.
Articles:
The Shape of a Single Moment
When we imagine our lives through the years, it might be easier to imagine a linear, gradual transformation. We were children, now we're adults, and the story continues across a medium of existence, too flux and too holistic for singularities. But when we tell our stories, we often refer to these singularities: moments that became dividing lines between older and newer versions of ourselves. In fact, research shows that people often define their lives around turning points an
Tezor Dedam
21 hours ago5 min read
What Do Schizophrenia and ALS Have In Common?
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.
Lili Bako
2 days ago4 min read
From Daughter to Researcher: Transforming Parkinson’s Through AI
Like many researchers, my journey into Parkinson’s disease began with a personal connection. Growing up with a father with Parkinson’s, I learned early that a diagnosis is only the beginning of the story.
Linda Bryant
3 days ago5 min read
The Joy of an Unlikeable Woman: Why FURIOUS Made Me Feel Exhilarated
Disney+ has just released FURIOUS, a gripping new crime drama following FBI agent Alice Black as she becomes consumed by the hunt for Catherine Grace, a female serial killer. But FURIOUS is far from a simple game of cat and mouse. Alice and Catherine are both driven by their own ideas of justice, operating on opposite sides of the law while pursuing a similar purpose. As their lives become increasingly intertwined, the boundaries between justice and revenge begin to blur.
Camila Ribeiro
4 days ago6 min read
The Fear of Clowns and a Smile We Cannot Trust
Like many who heard the news on the evening of Wednesday 26th August about the passing of actor Tim Curry, grief presented itself in me as reminiscing about his iconic roles throughout my childhood. Although Curry’s Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990s adaptation of Stephen King’s IT may have helped cement the sinister killer-clown trope in the mainstream since, the fear of clowns long precedes his performance.
Melisa Kose
Sep 115 min read
What Does Inflammatory Depression Look Like, and How Can We Assess It?
When we think about depression, we often think first about sadness, hopelessness, or losing interest in things we once enjoyed. But depression is much more diverse than that. Two people can receive the same diagnosis and experience very different combinations of depressive symptoms. For example, even the same symptomatologic areas can be affected in opposite ways: some people may sleep much more than usual, while others struggle with insomnia and have difficulty sleeping.
Benedetta Vai
Sep 105 min read
Postpartum Psychosis Is More Complex Than the Lindsay Clancy Trial
I have been watching the Lindsay Clancy trial unfold over the past few weeks, with growing unease. Now, after weeks of testimony and intense public scrutiny, the proceedings have ended in a mistrial. Before I started my PhD, I knew very little about postpartum psychosis (PPP). I had briefly studied it during my Neuroscience and Psychiatric research bachelor’s and master’s degrees. But it wasn’t until I co-led the PRAM-P cohort study.
Sorcha Alford
Sep 96 min read
Young People Want to Talk About Social Media. Are We Listening?
As a Senior Research Fellow in Digital Health at King's College London, I've spent the past few years speaking with young adults about social media and mental health. As the UK moves towards restrictions on social media use for under-16s, alongside other countries taking a similar approach, public discussion often comes down to a simple question: is social media good or bad for young people's mental health? To explore this topic, my colleagues and I interviewed 28 young adult
Ruth Plackett
Sep 85 min read
Sexual Health is Mental Health: Developing ACCESS-MH
We need to talk about sex in mental health settings. In recent years, it has become widely recognised that people living with psychiatric disorders experience a disproportionate burden of preventable physical illness. Research suggests that people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) die 15-20 years earlier than the general population, with physical health conditions contributing substantially to this mortality gap. Growing recognition of this inequality has driven efforts to imp
Sorcha Alford
Sep 76 min read
Could Low Brain Iron Levels Help Explain Schizophrenia?
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.
Luke Vano
Sep 45 min read
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