RESEARCH DESCRIPTION
Our Missionis “To undertake research on the interplay between genetic, environmental and maturational factors, and their roles in the causal processes underlying the origins and course of multifactorial mental disorders; to consider the implications for clinical practice and public health policy; and to train others in the methodologies involved.”
The goal of the Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry (MRC) Centre is to bridge the gap between “nature” (genetics) and “nurture” (environment) as they interact in the development of complex human behaviour, such as depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children.
Launched in 1994 as a partnership between the MRC (Medical Research Council) and the IoP, the Centre is a unique multi-disciplinary institution that studies social epidemiology, child and adult psychiatry, developmental psychopathology, development in the family, personality traits, cognitive abilities, statistical genetics, and molecular genetics. This unparalleled approach has inspired and nurtured collaborative research between the different departments within theInstitute of Psychiatry and demonstrated its impressive multifaceted expertise.
STUDY ENVIRONMENT
Graduate research students work closely with their supervisors and enjoy regular meetings to discuss their progress. They also liaise with other members of staff with relevant research interests and are encouraged to attend and participate in departmental research presentations and other Institute seminars. There is a full induction for new graduate students on commencing their studies. Each full-time graduate research student is allocated their own workspace and computer; facilities for part-time students can be arranged according to their needs.
POSTGRADUATE TRAINING
Training courses run by the department, the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) or through the Graduate School can be utilised as required to provide training in a wide variety of topics, from transferable skills to academic areas directly relevant to the student's thesis.
In addition, most students find it useful to attend the SGDP annual week-long Summer School which provides an introduction into the technical and conceptual aspects of behavioural genomics and is an unrivalled opportunity to attend lectures by experts in the field. Different courses run each year and further information is here:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/summerschool/si/sgdp/index.html
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KEY FACTS
Head of group/division
Professor Francesca Happé
Awarding institution
King's College London
Duration
For a traditional PhD, expected to be three years FT, five to six years PT; for MSc and PhD, expected to be one and three years. Email
iop.educationsupport@kcl.ac.uk or
julia.wootley@kcl.ac.uk for further information.
Location
Denmark Hill Campus.
Student destinations
Students have gone on to become senior lecturers at the IoP and at other institutions or consultant psychiatrists; and professors. Others have continued their research, or gained MRC fellowships.
Year of entry 2013
Offered by
