Verity Smith
Verity Smith – Assistant Psychologist (Research) Verity Smith is an Assistant Research Psychologist working on MAPS (Managing Adolescent first episode Psychosis: a feasibility Study). This trial is investigating treatment options for young people (aged 14-18) who are currently experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The study compares Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with antipsychotic medication, and a combination of both of these. Research comparing treatments helps young people, their families and the services...
Dr Rory Byrne
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Dr Rory Byrne - Postdoctoral User-Researcher Rory Byrne is a postdoctoral user-researcher at The Psychosis Research Unit (PRU), currently involved as a co-applicant with the following ongoing clinical trials: FOCUS, COMPARE, PRODIGY, BART, and IFCBT. He contributed to the development of these trials with a particular focus on the priorities and preferences of trial participants, and contributes to the ongoing development of research materials, trial management, qualitative sub-studies, and the publication...
Professor Peter Haddad
Professor Peter Haddad – Consultant Psychiatrist Peter Haddad is a Consultant in Community Psychiatry at The Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. He is also an Honorary Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manchester. His main research interests are the management of affective disorders, schizophrenia and psychosis with an emphasis on widening treatment choice and improving outcomes for people with these disorders. Peter graduated from Manchester Medical School...
Professor Paul French
Professor Paul French - Associate Director Paul French is currently the Clinical Lead for Early Intervention in Psychosis services across Greater Manchester, Mental Health Clinical Lead for Greater Manchester and East Cheshire Strategic Clinical Network, NHSE North Clinical Lead for Early Intervention in Psychosis for the North West and Honorary Professor at Liverpool University. His research interests are on the development of novel interventions for people with psychosis and preventative interventions for...
Nikki Dehmahdi
Nikki Dehmahdi - Assistant Psychologist (Research) Nikki Dehmahdi is an Assistant Research Psychologist who will be working across a number of trials at PRU. At present she is assisting with the IF CBT trial which is a feasibility study investigating whether combined individual and family cognitive behavioural therapy CBT is beneficial for people who are at risk of developing Psychosis. Nikki is also working towards establishing the minimum clinically important difference...
Dr Natasha Holden
Dr Natasha Holden - Clinical Psychologist Natasha Holden is a Clinical Psychologist. Her main role within PRU is to deliver structured interventions CBT to clients with varying presentations including individuals with psychosis not currently taking any medication, individuals who have experiences of psychosis which have been unresponsive to Clozapine, and young people with emerging mental health difficulties. Links to the trials Natasha has been involved in can be found below. As...
Dr Liz Murphy
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Dr Liz Murphy - Clinical Psychologist Liz Murphy is a research clinical psychologist at The Psychosis Research Unit (PRU). Her role is to provide cognitive therapy to people who are participating in research trials. Since Liz joined the team in early 2014, she has provided therapy across a range of trials, including RESPECT (Reducing Self-stigma in Psychosis by engagement in Cognitive Therapy), FOCUS (Focusing On Clozapine Unresponsive Symptoms), COMPARE (Cognitive behavioural...
Karmen Au-Yeung
Karmen Au-Yeung - Assistant Psychologist (Research) Karmen Au-Yeung is an Assistant Psychologist working on the PRODIGY (Prevention of Long Term Social Disability Amongst Young People with Emerging Psychological Difficulties) trial. Before working full-time, Karmen was volunteering for PRU, assisting on the COMPARE trial and also helped on the conference: Challenging the Stigma of Psychosis 2016. Karmen is enjoying her first post as an Assistant Psychologist and hopes to build on her...
Heather Peel
Heather Peel - Service User Researcher Heather Peel started working for PRU in May 2016 as a Service User Researcher conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews for the Method of Levels (MOL), a feasibility randomised control trial. Furthermore, Heather completed some of the transcribing and helped to develop the coding for the trial booklet. She currently works on helping to set-up and promote The Game Change Project. This project involves looking at using a...
Jonothan Orson
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Jonothan Orson - Trial Therapist Jonothan is a Registered Mental Health Nurse and joined the Psychosis Research Unit in 2018. Jonothan currently works as a Research Care Coordinator on the iATTp trial (Investigation into Attention Training Technique for Psychosis), a feasibility study investigating whether ATT is beneficial for individuals experiencing psychosis. Jonothan is passionate about engaging service-users in clinical research in order to expand the number of evidence-based treatment options available to...