NIHR Maudsley BRC: 2025 Year in Review

2025 year in review

In 2025, NIHR Maudsley BRC delivered research with real-world impact. Our NIHR‑funded research has uncovered genetic and biological factors linked to depression across diverse groups, and highlighted variations in antidepressant side effects. These findings could help support more personalised treatments. We have developed innovative interventions such as group singing for postnatal depression while providing novel insights to help reshape approaches to diagnosing eating disorders.

Our research is tackling urgent clinical challenges, including rising numbers of opioid overdoses and the impact of migraine, and we have identified gaps in healthcare such as autism diagnosis in older adults. At a population level, our work continues to shine a light on health inequalities, and through the launch of a CogStack spinout, we are advancing trusted AI‑driven initiatives that use anonymised healthcare data to improve patient care.

In the BRC’s leadership team there were some new additions as well as changes – we announced our Independent Scientific Advisory Panel (see April’s news below); appointed Professor Richard Dobson as Deputy Director, who brings a wealth of expertise in the areas of informatics and AI; while a new leadership team for our Child Mental Health theme was announced.

This year saw the launch of our Introductory Clinical Research Training Scheme, aimed at healthcare professionals who want to take their first steps into a research career – we're delighted that six applicants were successful in the first round, and a second round is currently recruiting.

Throughout 2025 we have shared our research widely through in-person events, from informal drop ins, zine-making workshops in south London to national conferences bringing together experts from policy, healthcare, industry and lived experience.

Our PPIE and EDI strategies underpinned our research and outreach, and in December we celebrated our annual CEDI Impact Awards and announced the 2025 winners. We will be launching a new website in 2026, to share more of our impact in even more accessible and engaging ways.

 

January

Global study pinpoints genes for depression across ethnicities
February

Co-development of patient reported-outcome measures
March

Biological pathway in the brain could help explain why teenage girls are more depressed than boys
April

Introducing our Independent Scientific Advisory Panel
May

Ubrogepant found to be effective at reducing non-headache related symptoms of migraine
June

Weight loss behaviours missing in tools to diagnose eating disorders

 

 

July

Ketamine could treat depression by interacting with the brain’s ‘opioid system’
August

Around 90% of middle-aged and older autistic adults are undiagnosed in the UK, new review finds
September

Experts gather to discuss innovations and strategies to detect and prevent opioid overdose deaths
October

Group singing reduces symptoms of postnatal depression for up to six months
November

Inequalities in mental health compulsory admissions worsened during the pandemic: Researchers call for Mental Health Act reforms
December

New AI spinout CogStack is unlocking the power of healthcare data to transform clinical care

Tags: Child Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Digital Therapies - Eating Disorders & Obesity - Experimental Medicine and Novel Therapeutics - Informatics - Motor Neuron Disease - Neuroimaging - Pain and Addictions - Biomarkers & genomics - Psychosis and Mood Disorders - CRIS -

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 19 Dec 2025, 12:27 PM


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