Melanie Lafanechere
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Month: December 2024
Research Project Officer, mental Health Mission, University of Birmingham
Biography
I have a BSc in Psychology from Aston University and an MSc in Brain Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Birmingham. I have worked at the University of Birmingham since 2020, where I started as Research Associate investigating the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on the motor areas of the cortex.
I then joined the Primed+ Lab as a Project Officer for Professor Upthegrove where I worked on the multi-site international project, PRESCIENT; investigating the longitudinal trajectories of Psychosis in clinically high-risk populations and then on the PIMS Trial which is double-blind randomised placebo trial that investigates an anti-inflammatory in First Episode Psychosis patients.
I then took a career break to travel for 7 months and returned to the lab to work on EPICare, which is a co-designed, evidence-based, stakeholder-informed framework for the build, implementation, and evaluation of a national integrated digital registry and clinical decision support system for Psychosis, that will be implemented at several NHS Mental Health Services, and eventually adopted by all NHS Mental Health Services in England.
Mental Health Mission – Team Building Day
The Mental Health Mission Team is set to hold a dedicated team-building day aimed at fostering connections among team members and evaluating the past year’s progress.
Initially planned to help the expanding team better understand each other’s roles, the event has taken on added significance following Rachel’s new appointment.
In preparation, Programme Manager (Raj) and Centre Director (Matthew) met with Vincent, a senior member of the ‘People and Organisational Development’ department from the University of Birmingham, to outline the day’s structure. Vincent will facilitate a light-touch session designed to encourage open communication and collaboration. His expertise is expected to bring out the best in participants, setting a positive tone for future interactions.
The goal of the day is for everyone to get to know one another and clarify their roles within the team. This is not a forum for addressing issues but rather an opportunity to strengthen relationships and set a clear direction for the Mental Health Mission Translational Centre.
Published in JAMA Psychiatry: New Study from Mental Health Mission Team Links Short Sleep in Childhood to Increased Risk of Psychosis in Adulthood
Members of the Mental Health Mission team have found that children with persistently short night-time sleep duration are at a significantly higher risk of developing psychotic experiences and psychotic disorders by the age of 24.
The study, led by Dr Isabel Morales-Munoz, Deputy Theme Lead for Mood Disorders, co-written with Professor Steven Marwaha, Mood Disorders Theme Lead, Professor Rachel Upthegrove, Psychosis Theme Lead, and Dr Vanessa Cropley of the University of Melbourne analysed data from over 12,000 children as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
The findings revealed that children with shorter sleep patterns across their early years were more than twice as likely to develop Psychotic Disorders and nearly four times as likely to experience Psychotic Experiences in young adulthood. The study also identified that elevated levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin 6 (IL-6) at age 9 partially mediated the link between short sleep duration and psychosis. However, another marker, C-reactive protein (CRP), did not show a similar effect.
This research highlights the critical need to address sleep issues in childhood, as poor sleep may contribute to long-term mental health risks. The study also suggests that future interventions should target both sleep and inflammatory responses to reduce the likelihood of developing psychosis later in life.
Dr. Luke Brown Joins Mental Health Mission Team as Assistant Professor
Dr. Luke Brown, an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology and Principal Clinical Psychologist with the NHS, has joined the Mental Health Mission team.
In 2023-2024, Dr. Brown was appointed a Clinical Leadership Fellow as part of NHS England West and East Midlands Clinical Senate. His work focuses on youth mental health, particularly in supporting individuals recovering from their first episode of psychosis. Dr. Brown is also leading the implementation of a new service designed for young people at Ultra-High Risk (UHR) of developing psychotic disorders, with the goal of improving early intervention and prevention strategies in mental health care.
Dr. Ben Perry Joins University of Birmingham and Awarded Prestigious NIHR Fellowship
Associate Clinical Professor Ben Perry has joined the University of Birmingham, bringing with him a wealth of expertise from his PhD and clinical lectureship at the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Perry has been awarded a highly esteemed five-year NIHR Advanced Fellowship to further his research in developing PsyMetRiC, a groundbreaking tool for clinicians. PsyMetRiC is designed to predict the risk of young people with psychosis developing physical health problems up to six years into the future. This tool addresses a critical gap in mental health care, as individuals with chronic psychotic disorders face a life expectancy 15-20 years shorter than the general population, primarily due to physical health comorbidities. By providing personalised risk assessments, PsyMetRiC aims to enable early interventions, improving long-term health outcomes for patients.
Matthew Broome Appointed Director of Midlands Mental Health Mission
The Midlands Demonstrator Site, a key component of the Mental Health Mission, has announced a new leadership team.
Starting July 8th, Professor Matthew Broome will step into the role of Director, with Professor Steven Marwaha taking on the position of Co-Director and leading the Mood Disorders theme. This leadership transition follows Professor Upthegrove’s move to the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre. Matthew has agreed to serve for the next 6 to 24 months as the team works toward recruiting a permanent successor or developing internal talent for the role. The team is excited to continue advancing mental health research and services in collaboration with the University and NHS partners.