Recent paper in Nature identifies over 100 loci associated with schizophrenia. Colleagues from the UCL Division of Psychiatry (McQuillin, Curtis, Bramon) are co-authors in this paper lead by Cardiff and Harvard as part of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.

S Ripke et al. Nature 000, 1-7 (2014) doi:10.1038/nature13595

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v511/n7510/full/nature13595.html#affil-auth

July 14 Manhattan plot of associations with schizophrenia

Applications are still being accepted from promising future researchers in mental health for our MSc Scholarships for 2014/15 entry.

High Flyers – Prabhu B Doss 

Applications will be open for a few more days for the UCL Division of Psychiatry MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences. It offers pathways both for clinicians who wish to develop their research-led advanced knowledge in mental health, and for recent psychology graduates aiming to develop their understanding of mental health problems and of the current evidence on their aetiology and management.

The MSc in Mental Health Sciences Research is intended for clinicians wishing to develop as researchers and will be open until 1 September.

Scholarships

Applicants with a strong interest in research careers can still consider applying for our scholarship opportunities:

CLOSING 14 AUGUST: The Division of Psychiatry Scholarships: These are open to all applicants for our MScs. We aim to award them to the applicants who are most promising as future researchers in mental health. They will be worth £2,000 for students registering full time and £1,000 for those registering on flexible or part time pathways. Names of award-winners will be announced on our website. To be considered for these scholarships, please apply for the MSc in Mental Health Sciences Research or the MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences and please also send to Mrs Chris Coup, MSc Course Administrator at c.coup@ucl.ac.uk, a 1,000 word statement summarising:

(a) your research achievements so far;

(b) how you envisage research being part of your future career;

(c) what topic in mental health you would like to research in future, why, and how you would approach it.

Awards will be made on the basis of these statements and your application forms for the MSc.

Applications need to be received by 4 August, and candidates need also to have applied for the MSc in Mental Health Sciences Research or MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences.

CLOSING 14 AUGUST: The Noclor Scholarships: These are open only to staff in Mental Health Trusts affiliated to the Noclor Research Support Service (Camden and Islington; Central and North West London; Barnet, Enfield and Haringey; Tavistock and Portman; East London; West London) who are applying for the MSc in Mental Health Sciences Research. Funding to the value of £8,5000 is available for two clinicians to undertake the course full time or part time, commencing September 2014. Applications from nursing staff are particularly encouraged. Chris Coup (c.coup@ucl.ac.uk) may be contacted for details of how to apply: the closing date is 15 August. 

The NELFT Scholarships: North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) can offer up to 3 scholarships of up to £2000 each year to students on the MSc Mental Health Sciences Research who are currently working for NELFT during the academic year of the MSc. Promise as a researcher is the main criterion for award. Applications can be made to Fiona Horton at NELFT Research & Development Department with an application letter, curriculum vitae, copy of acceptance letter for the MSc. fiona.horton@nelft.nhs.uk.

Dr Liz Sampson (Marie Curie Palliative Care Department) awarded the William Farr Medal by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. The William Farr Medal is for medical practitioners who have made a particularly significant contribution in any clinically related or research discipline to the management of elderly people as part of original work in the UK.

The PRIDE project aims to find ways that people diagnosed with dementia can stay independent for longer. It is one of six ESRC-funded project in the UK (three more of them are within UCL) that together comprise the world’s largest study into dementia. The meeting yesterday had representatives from Universities of East Anglia, Manchester, Sheffield, Hull and Loughborough as well as two universities in Santa Catarina in Brazil. The programme is extremely ambitious and it was great to get the team together for the first time, with the first component starting shortly. We look forward to bringing you more details of this in the coming weeks.

• Have you applied or are you considering applying for our MSc courses in Mental Health Sciences?
• Would you like to hear more about the new modules approved for our MScs and about the potential options for taking modules from other Faculties?
• Would you like to meet some of the academic staff who will be teaching in the MSc courses?

We will be hosting an Open Day event for our prospective MSc taught students in Clinical Mental Health Sciences and Mental Health Sciences Research. People who have already received offers for study commencing in September 2014 are particularly encouraged to come – we’d like to meet you.

The event will be taking place between 13.30 and 17.00 on Monday 21st of July, 2014 at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies building at TAVITON STREET, LONDON, WC1H 0BW – room 347, UCL.

It’s a great opportunity to:

• Hear more about the approach we are taking, the content of the modules that we offer and the full range of options available in our MScs, including options from other departments.
• Find about the range of supporting seminars and journal clubs we are offering alongside the MSc, including guidance on how to plan your career.
• Hear more about graduate student life in our Division and at UCL.
• Ask any questions.

If you would like to come to the Open Day, please register your interest by contacting Chris Coup – c.coup@ucl.ac.uk

Browse photos of our previous Open Day here.