I’m honoured to be recognised by the Academy of Medical Sciences through this Professorship. The award will enable my team to use large-scale data to understand why some children ‘grow out’ of ADHD while others continue to face challenges into adulthood, and to translate those insights into more precise, effective interventions. Having recently joined the UK research community, I’m excited to be part of such a collaborative and internationally connected environment that values global perspectives in improving children’s and young people’s mental health.
Professor Philip Shaw
20 November 2025
Prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences Professorship awarded to Professor Philip Shaw
Professor Philip Shaw, Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at King’s College London and Director of the King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People, has been awarded a prestigious Professorship by the Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS).
Philip joined King’s from the US National Institutes of Health to London in 2024 to become Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at King’s and take up the position of Director of the then newly formed King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People. The King's Maudsley Partnership is a partnership between King’s, South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the Maudsley Charity and will be housed in the Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People, bringing together clinical and academic excellence in a unique collaboration.
Philp’s research focuses on understanding the life course of symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and related conditions. Working alongside those living with ADHD, he looks at how differences in the brain, alongside the genetic and the environmental factors together impact on symptoms as children grow into adulthood. The AMS professorship will help Philip and his team use ‘Big Data’ to gain further insights into the reasons why some children ‘grow out’ of ADHD, whereas others have persistent challenges. The award will also help his team build links with local communities, ensuring that clinical research both reflects the voice of those with lived experience and captures the rich diversity of its South London home. His ultimate aim is to translate these discoveries into new tools to help better target existing treatments and as the foundation of new interventions. His clinical work as a consultant psychiatrist in specialist NHS child and adolescent mental health services, both inspires and shapes his research.
The Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) Professorship is a highly prestigious award and undergoes a rigorous selection process. I am delighted Philip has received this award, which is a reflection of his international standing in children and young people’s mental health research and will allow him to expand his research and its impact, through the King’s Maudsley Partnership.
Professor Matthew Hotopf, Executive Dean, IoPPN
The Academy of Medical Sciences Professorship scheme is designed to attract and retain outstanding emerging leaders from around the world, strengthening the UK’s biomedical research landscape. Supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the initiative provides flexible funding to individuals either newly appointed to or about to begin full Professorships.
I congratulate Professor Philip Shaw on receiving this prestigious award. His work is already driving forward discoveries and innovation in children’s mental health and neurodivergence, and we’re excited to see how this recognition will further support his innovative research and its real-world applications including through the delivery of services in South London.
David Bradley, Chief Executive South London and Maudsley NHS Trust
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Director, King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People