About Academic Clinical Psychiatry
Academic Clinical Psychiatry, headed by Professor Peter Woodruff, is situated at the Longley Centre on the Northern General Hospital site. The Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab) is based in the department, providing top class IT facilities for our research programme.
Research interests
Current research interests include structural and functional neuroimaging of psychotic conditions, their psychopathology and precursors and response to new treatments.
The current strengths of Academic Clinical Psychiatry lie in the biological investigation of psychiatric disorders, and include the use of neuroimaging techniques to investigate psychotic and other psychiatric disorders.
There is a vibrant research student culture, including an active and popular BMedSci Research Programme. Since 2001 there have been 17 MPhil/PhD/MD and 17 BMedSci students alongside F2 Fellows, Academic Clinical Fellows, MSc research students and over 96 MBBS research students. A number of our students, including the BMedSci students, have won national prizes. Many student projects have led to peer-reviewed publications.
Opportunities exist for those interested in pursuing a supervised research project leading to an MPhil/PhD in biological psychiatry, neuroscience and neuroimaging. Please contact Professor Peter Woodruff for further information.
Teaching
We have an active undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programme. A new MSc in Translational Neuroscience started in September 2011 to which Psychiatry contributes modules and research projects. There are weekly departmental academic research seminars with internationally renowned guest speakers as well as weekly research SCANLab presentations. There is joint teaching by University and NHS staff of undergraduates, psychiatric graduates and trainees of other disciplines.
The Academic Unit is responsible for the Clinical Psychiatry teaching as part of the MBChB curriculum. Students receive a week of introductory lectures followed by clinical attachments to NHS Units in the Region (including the Academic Unit) where they receive clinical training, tutorials and a compulsory clinical exam.
Academic clinical services
Academic Clinical Psychiatry benefits from close clinical links with Sheffield Health and Social Care Foundation Trust with which the academic clinical services operate.
Professor Peter Woodruff is an Honorary Consultant for the North Community Team based at Northlands. He provides an outpatient service for community patients as well as those from outside the sector.
Dr Mike Hunter (Consultant and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer) runs a psychiatry rehabilitation service for Sheffield.
Dr Paul Birkett (Clinical Lecturer/Honorary Consultant) heads an Intensive Therapy Service for severely mentally ill patients based at the Longley Centre.