Our Impact
Researchers at the SGDP Centre are regularly interviewed and featured in national TV, radio and the broadsheets as well as contributing to online articles and podcasts.
Professor Robert Plomin's best-selling book Blueprint (2018), describing how important our DNA is in who we are, has attracted considerable attention. He gives one podcast interview on average each month hoping to increase the public understanding of behavioural genetics, especially in relation to education (see for example his recent Triggernometry podcast). He was also a keynote invited speaker at the November 2022 EdCrunch, an educational technology conference with 4000 participants, in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Professor Francesca Happé talked about her work on autism on The Life Scientific, and has appeared in Her on-line opinion pieces have appeared in The Guardian, LiveScience, and Psyche, and a Guest Post for Mumsnet.
Professor Thalia Eley’s Emotional Development, Intervention and Treatment (EDIT) lab write a blog which primarily provides short introductions to topics around genetics, anxiety, depression, and psychological treatment. Many blogs have been viewed thousands of times, particularly those in the Wider World category. A more recent category highlights the importance of anti-racism approaches in research. Prof Eley also spoke to the Behind the Stigma podcast, addressing how genes and the environment interaction in developing mental health conditions.
Dr Chloe Wong was an invited guest for the Wellbeing Lab podcast with Will Young to stimulate discussions about epigenetics and to increase awareness of the interplay between genes and the environment on mental health and wellbeing across the life-course.
Professor Cathryn Lewis recorded an episode for The Thinking Mind podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, produced by Maudsley Learning, exploring how our genetics influence the development of mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Professor Jonna Kuntsi was interviewed for a ‘Mind of the Matter’ YouTube video, one of a series of videos aimed at providing evidence-based information on mental health a collaboration between the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King's Health Partners and King's College London.
Professor Helen Fisher co-created a mobile phone-based Mental Health Audio Tour of the National Gallery in London to challenge myths associated with mental health issues with the McPin Foundation, young people with lived experience of mental health, NG staff and young producers and Antenna International which was funded by the MRC. The young people involved in creating the tour reported a boost in self-esteem due to their involvement in the project.