Soha Patil, an NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): Maudsley PhD student, has completed a three-month placement at the NIHR BRC: Oxford Health through the NIHR Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration (NIHR SPARC) scheme. Soha developed new expertise in analysing clinical imaging data while building collaborations that will support the next stage of her research career.
Soha is a PhD student in the Department of Psychosis Studies at King’s College London, where her research combines neuroimaging and electronic health records from the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) platform to better understand psychosis in real-world clinical populations.
The NIHR SPARC scheme offers NIHR Academy members the opportunity to spend time in another part of the NIHR to develop new skills, establish collaborations and broaden their research experience. The award covers accommodation, travel and some training costs.
During her placement, which took place over the summer, Soha joined the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, working with Dr Graham Blackman on a project exploring radiology reports from people with psychosis. The work focused on applying natural language processing (NLP) methods to analyse information contained within clinical radiology reports, an approach that complements her ongoing doctoral research.
Reflecting on her placement, Soha said:
“In my PhD, I work with neuroimaging and electronic health records via the Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) platform, which requires certain tools and skillsets. This project worked with electronic records as well, but I focused on radiology reports, which taught me new data analysis methods that I plan to leverage in my PhD.”
The placement also provided valuable opportunities to learn directly from clinical colleagues and gain a deeper understanding of how imaging is used in patient care.
“Working alongside Dr Graham Blackman, who is a clinician, gave me immense understanding and appreciation for clinical workflows and medical terminology that is highly relevant to my PhD. As someone who works with secondary data, it was invaluable to see the clinical context behind the records and scans I analyse every day.”
Alongside her research project, Soha immersed herself in the Department of Psychiatry’s wider research environment. She was able to shadow the Brain Health Clinic, observing the intersection between NHS clinical services and research, and took part in preparations for the Baseline Biomarker Check study, volunteering as a test participant to better understand the experience of people referred into the research programme.
The placement also led to new collaborations and opportunities.
“This project opened doors for a collaboration with a team at UCL, which showed me how expansive the implications of work in academia can be. The project has now spun off into a groundbreaking publication, which I am managing alongside my PhD, equipping me with crucial project management skills. There were also serendipitous opportunities to get involved in Oxford’s ongoing research that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.”
Beyond the technical and academic benefits, Soha highlights the value of being embedded within another institution and becoming part of its research community.
“The opportunity to immerse myself in the working environment of the Department of Psychiatry was priceless. They are a collaborative, social team with a rigorous work ethic that I was inspired by.
Living in Oxford for three months offered a change of pace from London and helped her make the most of the placement experience.
“My commute was a lovely 30-minute walk . It was great fun to work from different buildings across the department and from Oxford’s libraries when I wanted a change. My weekends were spent exploring Oxford and its colleges, enjoying pub trips with colleagues and enduring the heatwaves.”
The experience has already begun shaping the next phase of Soha’s doctoral research, with new analytical approaches and professional connections feeding directly into her PhD work.
“While I learnt a lot of technical skills, it was worthwhile applying for funding to be physically located there. I would encourage students, where possible, to apply for funding to be integrated into their chosen institution and make the most of the city they are in.”
Placements such as NIHR SPARC are designed to strengthen the skills, confidence and networks of early career researchers. For Soha, the opportunity provided not only new methodological expertise, but also a richer understanding of the clinical and collaborative contexts in which mental health research can create impact.
