The range of awards from the Royal College of Psychiatrists is a real testament to the outstanding work happening across the IoPPN and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The collaboration between our two organisations is key to the successes for our academics, clinicians, students, staff and most importantly for those we work with both in the hospital and the community. We are incredibly proud of all those who received nominations and awards.
Professor Matthew Hotopf, IoPPN Executive Dean
10 November 2025
RCPsych Award successes highlight collaborative excellence between IoPPN and South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust
Professor Sir Robin Murray receives Lifetime Achievement award, while multiple teams individuals from across the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) and South London and Maudsley won the top prizes at this year’s RCPsych Awards, with many more shortlisted.
Teams and individuals from across the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) and South London and Maudsley (SLaM) won the top prizes at this year’s Royal College of Psychiatrists Awards, with many more shortlisted. Professor Sir Robin Murray was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award recognising his decades of hard work and dedication.
The RCPsych Awards annually celebrate national excellence across the field of psychiatry, recognising dedication, innovations and impact.
Professor Sir Robin Murray wins 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
Professor Sir Robin Murray won this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for this work on challenging the views around understanding schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder fuelled by insults to the brain in early life.
Sir Robin is Professor of Psychiatric Research at IoPPN. He was one of the first to suggest that schizophrenia was in part a neurodevelopmental disorder, and he and his colleagues have contributed to the understanding that environmental factors such as obstetric events, drug abuse and social adversity dysregulate striatal dopamine and thus increase the risk of psychosis. He has written over 800 articles and is the most frequently cited psychosis researcher outside the USA. He has supervised 83 PhDs and 13 MD Theses, and 45 of his students have become full professors. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2010 and received a knighthood in 2011.
Winners and shortlisted colleagues
Multiple teams and individuals working across King’s, IoPPN and SLaM received awards.
Dr Asilay Seker was awarded Resident Doctor of the Year. Asilay is a PhD student on a Clinical Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, studying emotion dysregulation in young people accessing CAMHS. She also works with national and international psychiatric organisations to support the professional development and academic engagement of trainee and early career psychiatrists.
The judges said: “Asilay is a well-rounded outstanding higher trainee. She excels clinically, as a leader, an educator and a researcher who gives opportunity for her fellow colleagues to excel including founding the International Journal of Psychiatric Trainees.”
An Nakamura was awarded Medical student of the year. At the time of nomination, An was a medical student at the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine at King’s. As an aspiring CAMHS psychiatrist, she is a co-founder of a startup aiming to support the development of emotional literacy in children and young people.
The judges said: “An is an outstanding student who brings a unique perspective to psychiatry as a researcher, musician, educator, leader and entrepreneur. Her ability to promote healthcare innovation effectively to the public through Gaming the Mind and Rain and Shine is very impressive.”
Dr Emily Finch received Psychiatrist of the Year. Emily is the Addictions Clinical Academic Group (CAG) Clinical Director with responsibility for Addiction services across Lambeth, Bexley, Greenwich and Wandsworth, and also works at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy.
The judges said: “Emily is a compassionate and highly respected leader in psychiatry, admired for her advocacy for the most vulnerable and stigmatised people in society, her national contributions to addiction policy and training, and her dedication as a clinician, colleague, and mento are remarkable.
The Maudsley Advanced Treatment Service (MATS) received Psychiatric Team of the Year: Research/Quality Improvement. MATS provides a specialised, fast-track referral service for patients with complex and difficult-to-treat affective disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder.
The judges said: “The judges were impressed by the way the team involved and engaged key stakeholders, particularly patients and carers, in the work of the Centre, in identifying the research questions of importance and quality improvement problems to tackle, and in the high-quality scientific outputs enabling the sharing and embedding of evidence-based practice.
Finally, congratulations to shortlisted colleagues and teams:
- Core Psychiatric Trainee of the Year - Dr Laura Convertino
- Higher Psychiatric Resident Doctor of the Year - Dr Mutahira Qureshi
- Mid/Senior Career Academic Researcher of the Year - Dr Tom Pollak
- Psychiatric Team of the Year: Digital Mental Health - The Clinical Informatics Service
- Psychiatric Team of the Year: Research/Quality Improvement - The Brain Health Clinic
We’re so proud of our joint achievements from this year’s RCPsych Awards. Our partnership with the IoPPN is unique and part of what makes our so work distinctive and special. Many of our colleagues move fluidly between the two to bring depth, agility, innovation and a shared vision to transform care for those affected by mental health and neurological conditions. Huge congratulations to all those short-listed, and those who won.
Professor Derek Tracy, Chief Medical Officer at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
More information about this year’s awards can be found here.