Recently, mental health researchers from across France and the UK came together at the Wellcome Trust in London for the second in-person meeting of the UK–French Mental Health Biomarkers Consortium to report on progress and celebrate achievements.
The UK-French Mental Health Biomarkers Consortium is an international initiative aimed at revolutionising the field of mental health diagnosis and treatment through the identification and validation of biomarkers.
The Consortium supports the development of shared scientific frameworks, biomarker-driven approaches, and clinically actionable innovations by sharing metadata across the UK and France.
The two-day event was hosted by Fondation FondaMental, the National Institute for Health and Care Research Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (NIHR MH:TRC) and the UK Mental Health Goals programme.
Representatives from more than 15 universities and research institutes attended, alongside members of government and funding bodies.
Over the two days, discussions focused on key challenges and emerging progress in biomarker research and the significant and growing potential impact on the assessment, stratification, and precision treatments for mental health disorders.
A highlight of the 2026 meeting was the inaugural presentation of the Precision Mind Award 2026 and the NIHR Precision Mind Matched Fund Award for UK-French collaborative projects.
Congratulations to Dr Adam Al-Diwani, Senior Clinical Researcher, University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry and colleagues in France on receiving these awards.
Dr Al-Diwani’s research in our NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford Health’s Molecular Targets Theme focuses on the interface of neuropsychiatry and neuroimmunology.
On the first evening, a gala dinner was held at the Residence of the French Ambassador in London.
The event brought together leading researchers, government representatives, philanthropists, and funders to further explore the goals of the consortium and to identify opportunities for future collaboration.
The first meeting of the UK-French Mental Health Biomarkers Consortium took place in 2025 at the University of Oxford, Said Business School, and included presentations and discussion on diverse topics including genetic and immuno-genetic markers, immuno-metabolic biomarkers, infections, biomarkers discovery in dementia, existing & future cohorts for major mood disorders and psychosis and more.
The Consortium will work towards long term goals of developing biological biomarkers, improving diagnostic systems and creating personalised treatments for a range of mental health conditions.
Professor Rachel Upthegrove, Chair of NIHR MH:TRC said:
“Bringing together leading researchers from across the UK and France is essential if we are to accelerate progress in identifying reliable biomarkers for mental health. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to improving diagnosis and developing more personalised treatments that can make a real difference to patient’s lives.”
