Ten reasons why you should come along to the the 5th UCL IoMH International Conference on 18th September 2024

1. The UCL IoMH International Conference (supported by the Grand Challenge of Mental Health & Wellbeing and the charity, MHRUK) is the only UK conference dedicated to the whole spectrum of mental health research – from nerve cells to social policy; from Alzheimer’s to Autism; from data to dialogue.
2. It is not run by a professional organisation; it is not sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. There is no exam at the end. It is not about a particular condition or treatment modality but tries to take the best of all of these.
3. It’s live! Not one of those online insomnia cures that you have on in the background with your camera off, hoping somehow that new ideas and knowledge will somehow passively seep into you mind. No, this is a proper meeting where other engaged, impressive (sometimes infuriating) human beings will discuss, argue (and hopefully tell a few jokes) while imparting some of the most up-to-date and exciting research and ideas on mental health and illness.
4. This year, as before, we will be taking on some of the most pressing and sometimes controversial issues of the day. You’ll get to hear a plenary lecture from the new Director of the Dementia Research Institute Siddarthan Chandran, the first since he joined UCL, on new treatments based on translational research. This will be followed by a more sceptical view of the new Alzheimer drugs from Rob Howard. And coving the entire biopsychosocial spectrum we are also welcoming Ian James from Northumberland who is an expert in non-pharmacological interventions. We will also be discussing autism and neurodiversity. Flying in from the New York State Psychiatric Institute will be Jeremy Veentra-WanderWeele who is head of the Centre for Autism and the Developing Brain – which gives you a flavour of what he will be talking about. Antonia Hamilton will give us the latest on social cognition while Ginny Russell from Exeter will be broadening out the discourse into what autistic people make of such research and how those with lived experience and those who in some circumstances may need to care for them, differ in their outlook. The congress will finish with a lecture from Sir Mike Owen one of the world’s leading psychiatric geneticists who will take us beyond nature vs nurture to how our inheritance interacts with the environment in conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and can point us in the direction of new treatments and biomarkers. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mental-health/iomh-conference/conference-programme. We are also taking on a topic which is not automatically included in mental health discussions but which is among the greatest challenges of our age: climate change. Elizabeth Marks from Bath will introduce us to the problem of climate anxiety and Kris de Meyer, from UCL will give us a neuroscience perspective.
5. Built into each conference theme there will be plenty of time for discussion, led by other experts from UCL but with ample scope for audience participation.
6. There will be posters as well as oral presentations, so that early career researcher will get a chance to show what they are up to and get feedback from an interested and informed audience.
7. The cost of attending is incredibly reasonable given that it includes lunch, coffee and tea – and there are concessions for students and those eager (and well-organised) early birds. If you want to hob-nob with the presenters and other delegates, you can sign up for the wine reception afterwards. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/event-ticketing/app/?ev=24077
8. The majority of the audience comprises of both researchers and clinicians although people with lived-experience or carers or the merely curious are all welcome.
9. Mid-September is before the start of the new University term, you’ll be back from your holidays, so you will have some time on your hands. The weather is probably going to be a bit meh so what better way is there to get up to speed on mental health topics if you are a student or academic?
10. It’s just one day!

We look forward to seeing our research community come together on 18th September. We are offering a special rate for “early birds” who book before 1 July: www.ucl.ac.uk/mental-health/iomh-conference/conference-registration