Issue 26 – NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre

Welcome to the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health Newsletter, full of ideas, events, and achievements.

To feature in future editions email Oxford Health R&D Comms.

Our research in the News

MSN: AI-driven tool significantly personalizes antidepressant treatment, international trial finds
Healthcare Management: Virtual treatment research brings benefits for eating disorder patients
The Guardian: My teenage daughter’s OCD keeps getting worse. What can I do?
Oxford Mail: Oxford Health calls for participants in Alzheimer’s studies
University of Reading: Thames Valley healthcare set to improve through research
Oxford Mail: Leading neuropsychiatrist to join Biomedical Research Centre

Professor Jeremy Hall appointed Deputy Director of NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health

Welcome to Professor Jeremy Hall who has been appointed Deputy Director of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health. A leading neuropsychiatrist, he joins us alongside his role as Professor of Translational Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, strengthening leadership across our BRC’s mental health research portfolio.

Read more: BRC: Oxford Health news

Celebrating excellence in research leadership: NIHR Senior Investigator Awards 2026

We are delighted to congratulate our BRC Director Professor Rachel Upthegrove MBE who has been named as NIHR Senior Investigator for 2026. This recognition reflects Professor Upthegrove’s exceptional leadership, sustained research excellence, and significant contributions to advancing mental health research and improving outcomes for patients and communities.

Read more: BRC: Oxford Health news

Celebrating excellence in research leadership: NIHR Senior Investigator Awards 2026

Join our free public talk on Neurodiversity and research

Monday 20 April, 5:30pm- 7:00pm

Department for Continuing Education, Rewley House, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA

Join us for a special podcast-style panel conversation featuring 3 expert brain and mental health researchers from our BRC who will explore two complementary perspectives. The discussion will consider how neurodivergent participants can be more effectively included within broader mental and brain health research, as well as the importance of designing research projects specifically tailored for neurodivergent communities from the outset.

All speaker details and registration: BRC: Oxford Health events

Could research help you?

To mark World Bipolar Day, we featured the specialist Bipolar Disorder Research Clinic. Supported by our BRC and delivered through the Clinical Research Facility: Oxford Health, the clinic offers adults research‑led assessment and care, with options to self‑refer and take part in studies shaping future treatments.

Read more: BRC: Oxford Health news

New mental health pathway for primary school children reduces anxiety problems – study shows

Is a school-based approach the key to reducing anxiety in primary‑aged children? A new BRC: Oxford Health supported trial led by Tessa Reardon and Cathy Creswell at the University of Oxford and published in The Lancet Psychiatry shows a school-based screening-to-intervention approach could reduce the child anxiety treatment gap, enabling more children to get effective support more quickly.

Read more: BRC: Oxford Health news

New mental health pathway for primary school children reduces anxiety problems – study shows

Health Research Showcase 2026

Visit over 30 interactive stands and learn about how we’re shaping the future of healthcare.

Exploring faith, culture and mental health research together

Recently, researchers, clinicians, community leaders and young advisors came together in Birmingham at an event hosted by our BRC to explore how to build stronger connections with communities through an increased appreciation of culture and faith.. The event brought together over 25 organisations to address the underrepresentation of African, Caribbean and Asian communities in mental health research, sharing practical, inclusive approaches to make research more accessible.

Read more: BRC: Oxford Health news

New video launched to help people prepare for a clinical research visit

The NIHR Clinical Research Facility: Oxford Health has launched a new video explaining what to expect at a research visit. Featuring real staff and spaces, it walks viewers through a typical appointment, helping people feel prepared, reduce anxiety and understand their visit before attending.

View the video: CRF: Oxford Health news

New video launched to help people prepare for a clinical research visit

Declining water levels linked to air pollution and depression severity

A new NASA funded study in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry found that declining water levels at Utah’s Great Salt Lake was linked to worsening air pollution and increased severity of depression in nearby communities. Published in The Lancet Planetary Health, the findings highlight how environmental change and air quality may influence mental health.

Two Oxford BRC researchers named NIHR Senior Investigators

Congratulations to Professors Paul Leeson and Najib Rahman, from the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre who have been appointed NIHR Senior Investigators. The prestigious award recognises outstanding applied health research and leadership. Their work spans cardiovascular and respiratory medicine, supporting patient benefit, mentoring future researchers and strengthening research capacity.

Oxford Health BRC Newsletters

Our research in the News

Professor Jeremy Hall appointed Deputy Director of NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health

Celebrating excellence in research leadership: NIHR Senior Investigator Awards 2026

Join our free public talk on Neurodiversity and research

Could research help you?

New mental health pathway for primary school children reduces anxiety problems – study shows

Health Research Showcase 2026

Exploring faith, culture and mental health research together

New video launched to help people prepare for a clinical research visit

Declining water levels linked to air pollution and depression severity

Two Oxford BRC researchers named NIHR Senior Investigators

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Improving brain health: the future in mind

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