Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Leadership

The Senior Leadership Team provides the strategic direction and focus for the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience.

Led by the Interim Executive Dean, Professor Sir Simon Wessely, supported by the Dean of Education, Faculty Operating Officer, Vice Dean (Research), Vice Dean (International), Vice Dean (Diversity & Inclusion), Heads of School and Heads of Department.

Interim Executive Dean: Professor Sir Simon Wessely

Professor Sir Simon Wessely is Interim Executive Dean of the IoPPN. Sir Simon is a world-renowned academic psychiatrist who trained at the Maudsley and has been with IoPPN and King’s for over 35 years.
He formed the King’s Centre for Military Health Research in 1996 and in 2013 he was appointed to the first ever Regius Chair of Psychiatry. Since 2013 Sir Simon has been the Co-Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Unit for Emergency Preparedness and Response at King’s, which has been very active during the COVID-19 crisis. Between 2017-19 he led the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, which paved the way for new legislation in 2022.

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Director of Operations: Richard Barnard

Richard Barnard is Director of Operations. He is also joint Denmark Hill Campus Dean. He is responsible for the faculty professional services functions including Education Support Team, Press & Communications, Health & Safety, Diversity & Inclusion, Research & Development and the faculty Deanery. Working with the Executive Dean he provides leadership and oversees strategy, planning, faculty resources and the day to day running of the faculty.

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Dean of Education: Professor Juliet Foster

Professor Juliet Foster is a social psychologist whose work focuses on public understandings of heath problems, and in particular of mental health. She draws on theories from sociocultural psychology and is an important part of the international community of scholars working on social representations theory. She is the academic lead for King’s College London on student mental health and well-being. Juliet is the Chair of the Education and Training Board of the British Psychological Society, and an Associate Editor of both Papers on Social Representations and Psychology, Public Policy and Law.

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Head of the School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences: Professor Dame Til Wykes

Professor Dame Til Wykes is Head of the School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences at the IoPPN. She is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation at King’s College London, and she edits the Journal of Mental Health.

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Head of the School of Neuroscience: Professor Mark Richardson

Professor Mark Richardson is the Head of the School of Neuroscience at the IoPPN. He is both a practicing neurologist, regularly holding epilepsy clinics at King’s College Hospital, as well as a research team leader, running a lab whose focus is on understanding the mechanisms of epilepsy using multi-modal brain imaging approaches.

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Head of the School of Academic Psychiatry: Professor Allan Young

Professor Allan Young is Head of the School of Academic Psychiatry at the IoPPN. He is Professor of Mood Disorders, and holds the Chair of Mood Disorders. He is also the Director of the Centre for Affective Disorders within the Department of Psychological Medicine and is an Honorary Consultant with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

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Vice Dean (International): Professor Paola Dazzan

Paola Dazzan is Professor of Neurobiology of Psychosis and has additional responsibility for international partnerships. Her main area of interest is the application of brain imaging to the study of the early stages of psychosis, and the relationship between brain, other biological risk factors for psychosis, and the biological effects of antipsychotics.

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Vice Dean (Research): Professor Matthew Hotopf CBE

Matthew Hotopf is Vice Dean of Research at the Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience. He is a Professor of General Hospital Psychiatry, a consultant liaison psychiatrist and is also Director of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). His main area of research is in the grey area between medicine and psychiatry, exploring the interaction between mental and physical health.

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Vice Dean (Culture, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion): Professor Stephani Hatch

Professor Stephani Hatch is a Professor of Sociology and Epidemiology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London. Stephani leads the Health Inequalities Research Group; an interdisciplinary research programme and public engagement activities focused on urban mental health; inequalities in mental health and health services; discrimination; and young adult mental health. The group is supported by the Wellcome Trust, Economic and Social Research Council and NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre.