Child & Adolescent Psychiatry MPhil/PhD/MD(Res)

King's College London

Overview

Professor Emily Simonoff heads the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry which has a diverse research program studying both common and rarer, severe disorders that start in childhood often persisting into adulthood. The disorders studied in the Department include: autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, affective disorders, substance misuse, obsessive compulsive disorder, intellectual disability, as well as childhood neglect and maltreatment and deliberate self-harm. We aim to improve our understanding of how mental disorders develop, including understanding their environmental causes, genetics, neurobiology, neuropharmacology and behavioural and cognitive deficits and establish methods of treatment and prevention. Our research extends into risk factors (both biological and environmental) for the development of disorders and treatment strategies. Members of the Department use a range of scientific methods, including epidemiology, behaviour and molecular genetics, neuroimaging, neuropsychopharmacology and clinical trials. Research receives substantive funding from external bodies such as the Medical Research Council, Welcome Trust, National Institute of Health Research as well as industry, smaller charities and other arms of the government. We have an integrated scheme of research, teaching and clinical work. The aim is to understand how disorders develop and to apply the results to make new treatments and assessments, evaluate them and provide need and cost information for health services planners. The links between basic science and translation into improved clinical services are strengthened by the structures of the academic health sciences centre, King’s Health Partners. Many senior academic staff members have particularly strong links with the National Specialist teams based at the Maudsley Hospital. These teams focus on the development of methods and services in specific clinical areas that are integrated with the Department’s research interests.

Course detail

Graduate research students work closely with their supervisors and enjoy regular meetings to discuss their progress. They also liaise with other members of staff with relevant research interests and are encouraged to attend and participate in departmental research presentations and other Institute seminars. There is a full induction for new graduate students on commencing their studies. Each full-time graduate research student is allocated their own workspace and computer; facilities for part-time students can be arranged according to their needs.

Career prospects

The PhD program aims to equip students to move on to a range of careers, including options such as move into clinical psychology courses, work in the pharmaceutical industries, as well as continued clinical academic or academic research.