The Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab (OxPPL) led by Professor Andrea Cipriani, is celebrating after winning Psychiatric Team of the Year: Digital Mental Health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) Awards 2026.
The award recognises the work of the multidisciplinary OxPPL team, which brings together researchers, clinicians, statisticians, methodologists and students to improve the lives of people with mental health conditions through innovative approaches, including digital mental health.
One example is PETRUSHKA, a digital decision-support tool designed to help people with depression and clinicians choose antidepressants together, taking account of individual preferences and research evidence. In an international clinical trial, people using PETRUSHKA were 38% less likely to stop taking their antidepressant and experienced greater improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms.
Nyla Haque, Senior Trial Manager for PETRUSHKA and PRADA (a clinical trial exploring how antidepressant treatment can be personalised using clinical, demographic, and genetic data), said:
“Mental health conditions can often leave people feeling powerless, with little say in their own care. The PETRUSHKA Tool, developed by our team, empowers people with depression through shared decision-making, giving them an active role in their treatment choices. This is the real impact of clinical trials, turning research into meaningful change for patients. This award is recognition of the impact digital health tools can make and paves the way for continual improvement.”
Dr Katharine Smith, Clinician Researcher, Oxford Precision Psychiatry, said:
“It is fantastic to receive this recognition from the College for the work of the OxPPL group. As a clinician and researcher, our work highlights the material impact that digital interventions can make for people with mental health difficulties, by supporting them in accessing the best available evidence and enabling their choice of the treatment which best suits their individual needs.”
“As a research group, you believe in the work you are doing. In the case of OxPPL group, it is to try and improve, through innovative ways, the outcomes for people experiencing mental health difficulties. Receiving external recognition felt important as it shows that our work is valued in the psychiatry community and beyond.”- Rachel Shaw, Senior Trial Manager PRADA Study.
Congratulations to everyone across the OxPPL team on this fantastic achievement and well-deserved national recognition.
Find out more about OxPPL and see the RCPsych Awards 2026 winners.
