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Andrea Danese

Professor Andrea Danese MD, PhD

Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Research interests

  • Psychiatry

Biography

Professor Andrea Danese is a clinical scientist interested in childhood trauma and trauma-related psychopathology across the life-course. After training at the University of Pavia School of Medicine, the Institute of Psychiatry King’s College London, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Prof Danese joined the Faculty at the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. He is also Clinical Professor at the Yale Child Study Center. 

Prof Danese leads the Stress & Development Lab. Research from his team has led to highly-cited publications on the measurement of childhood trauma, risk factors for trauma exposure, biological mechanisms through which trauma affects later health, mechanisms of resilience, modelling of individualised risk prediction for trauma-related psychopathology, and the epidemiology of child trauma and trauma-related psychopathology. He is a co-investigator on the Environmental-Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study which follows 2,232 British twins born in 1994-1995. He is also a co-investigator on the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a life-course investigation of 1,037 individuals born in 1972-1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. 

For his research, Prof Danese was awarded the 2007 Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship in Clinical Sciences, the 2008 Scholar Award from the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS), the 2009 NARSAD Young Investigator Award, the 2009 Young Investigator Award from the Society for Developmental Origins of Adult Health (DOHaD), the 2010 Denis Hill Prize for Junior Medical Faculty at the Institute of Psychiatry, the 2010 Royal Society of Medicine Mental Health Foundation Research Prize, the 2015 Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Early Career Research Contribution Award, and the 2016 and 2019 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Senior Researcher Award. Prof Danese has been named Web of Science / Clarivate “Highly Cited” Researcher in Psychiatry and Psychology since 2019.

He is also an active clinician at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, where he is Honorary Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist at the National & Specialist CAMHS Clinic for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression. This national service attracts referrals from across the UK and abroad for second opinion on diagnosis and treatment of difficult-to-treat young people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and unipolar depression, often as a last option before inpatient admissions. The clinic has also worked with NHS-England and the Department of Health to deliver screen and treat programmes for British families affected by terrorist attacks in the UK and abroad. Along with his clinical team, Professor Danese has written open-access resources on Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and on how to support children who experienced traumatic events. He has also written chapters on the psychopharmacology of emotional disorders in children and young people in the Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines and on childhood maltreatment on the leading Rutter’s Textbook of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 

Prof Danese is the Academic Secretary for the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and the RCPsych lead on child trauma. He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at NSPCC and the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP). He is a member of the Evidence Panel at the Early Intervention Foundation. He has advised the Department of Health and National Institute for Health Research Steering Committee for a Strategy for Mental Health (Children & Young People Working Group). Prof Danese’s research has informed thinking of national and international organisations on social care and public health policies to tackle child maltreatment. 

He is Editor-at-large of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. He is also a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry; Brain, Behaviour and Immunity; the Journal of Affective Disorders; and the APA Psychological Trauma.

Research interests:

  • Child stress;  
  • Child trauma;  
  • Child maltreatment,  
  • PTSD;  
  • Anxiety;  
  • Depression; 
  • Developmental Psychopathology;  
  • Familial and Peer Relationships;  
  • Social development;  
  • Causal epidemiology;  
  • Genomics;   
  • Psychoneuroendocrinology;  
  • Psychoneuroimmunology 

Expertise and Public Engagement:

Prof Danese collaborates with the UK Science Media Centre for expert commentaries on research news about stress and stress-related psychopathology in young people. He is also actively engaged in communicating findings from his research through the media, BBC, The Independent, The Guardian, The Times, Daily Mail, The Telegraph, Channel 4, The New Yorker, US News 2009, US News 2011, CBS News, Fox News, The New Zealand Herald, BMJ News, The Neuroscientist, New Scientist, Scientific American Mind, Science News and Science. His research has contributed to discussions about social and public health policies at the UK House of Commons, the Scottish Government, the London School of Economics, the US National Institute of Health, the US Institute of Medicine, the US National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, the US National Poverty Center, and the Canadian Alberta Family Wellness Initiative. 

His Inaugural Lecture ‘Rethinking childhood trauma’ can be seen on YouTube.

Teaching:

Prof Danese regularly teaches on topics related to childhood trauma, trauma-related psychopathology, depression, anxiety disorders, epidemiology, neurobiology, and psychopharmacology in the following courses: 

MSc Genes, Environment & Development in Psychology & Psychiatry 

MSc Developmental Psychology & Psychopathology 

MSc Child & Adolescent Mental Health 

Maudsley Training Programme 

    Research

    E-Risk-Study-logo
    Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study

    E-Risk study, now in its third decade, follows the lives of 2232 twins born in 1994-95 in England and Wales. The study builds knowledge about how environmental and genetic factors shape behaviors, attitudes and health.

    kings-college-psychology-building-hero
    Danese Lab: Stress & Development

    The Stress & Development Lab is led by Andrea Danese, Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. The Lab aims to understand how stressful experiences in childhood affect development and later health, and how to best support children who had such traumatic experiences.

    KeepCool

    KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

    Project status: Ongoing

    KeepCool: Anxiety

    KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

    Project status: Ongoing

    KeepCool: Sadness

    KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

    Project status: Ongoing

    KeepCool: Anger

    KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Y-MIND photo 1
    African Youth in Mind

    African Youth in Mind focuses on adapting and testing a stepped care intervention for youth with depression & anxiety in Ghana and Zimbabwe.

    Project status: Ongoing

    News

    Child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

    For Children’s Mental Health Week, we highlight some of IoPPN's research into the impact of COVID-19 on child and adolescent mental health, and potential...

    children-covid

    Lonely teenagers at greater risk of poor educational outcomes

    Research from King’s College London finds that loneliness experienced at age 12 increases the risk of finishing school with poor grades, as well as poor...

    ECSTeenboyReadingimg

    Professor Melanie Abas receives £2.75m in UKRI funding

    Professor Melanie Abas, with members of a new Global Health Research Group, has received £2.75m in NIHR funding to learn how best to treat depression and...

    FriendshipBench

    IoPPN staff share their thoughts on inequality on World Mental Health Day 2021

    Staff and students share their thoughts on how to tackle inequality within the mental health sector.

    equal

    IoPPN researchers shortlisted for upcoming RCPsych Awards and HSJ Awards 2021

    Several IoPPN researchers and projects have recently been shortlisted for upcoming awards.

    clapping use this one

    New study explores the influence of complex trauma on mental health and cognitive function

    Findings showed that complex trauma exposure is linked with a wide range of mental health disorders and cognitive impairments.

    Troubling-extent-trauma-PTSD-young-people-780x440

    Young people share tips for coping with anger

    King’s College London have worked alongside children and young people to create a short film that helps them to process feelings of anger that have been...

    Child yelling Jason Rosewell

    BBC Bitesize 'Parents We Got You' campaign features tips on managing obsessive compulsive behaviours

    The article help parents recognise the difference between normal worries and more excessive and troubling behaviour

    Parent and children using a tablet

    Mental health experts team up with young people to help their peers keep cool during the pandemic

    Leading mental health clinicians and researchers are working with young people to produce three short films and a social media campaign to help young people...

    Graphics from the Keep Cool project

    Personal accounts of childhood maltreatment matter more for mental health than official records

    Personal accounts of childhood maltreatment show a stronger association with psychiatric problems compared to legal proof that maltreatment occurred,...

    Personal accounts of childhood maltreatment matter more for mental health than official records Dra

    Features

    'Families Under Pressure' in a post-pandemic world

    While we hope we have now seen the worst of COVID-19, the emotional and behavioural challenges that arose during this unprecedented time are ongoing. As a...

    Untitled (780 × 440 px) (1903 × 558 px) (3)

    How has COVID-19 impacted children and young people?

    Since children and adolescents were considered a low health risk, they were far from a priority in the early stages of the pandemic. But with the disruption...

    Untitled (780 × 440 px) (1903 × 558 px) (1)

    Brainwaves podcast series

    Brainwaves is a podcast series exploring and explaining the latest in mental health and neurosciences research at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology &...

    hero image - brainwaves

      Research

      E-Risk-Study-logo
      Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study

      E-Risk study, now in its third decade, follows the lives of 2232 twins born in 1994-95 in England and Wales. The study builds knowledge about how environmental and genetic factors shape behaviors, attitudes and health.

      kings-college-psychology-building-hero
      Danese Lab: Stress & Development

      The Stress & Development Lab is led by Andrea Danese, Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. The Lab aims to understand how stressful experiences in childhood affect development and later health, and how to best support children who had such traumatic experiences.

      KeepCool

      KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

      Project status: Ongoing

      KeepCool: Anxiety

      KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

      Project status: Ongoing

      KeepCool: Sadness

      KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

      Project status: Ongoing

      KeepCool: Anger

      KeepCool is a series of educational videos designed to help young people learn about and cope with strong emotions.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Y-MIND photo 1
      African Youth in Mind

      African Youth in Mind focuses on adapting and testing a stepped care intervention for youth with depression & anxiety in Ghana and Zimbabwe.

      Project status: Ongoing

      News

      Child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

      For Children’s Mental Health Week, we highlight some of IoPPN's research into the impact of COVID-19 on child and adolescent mental health, and potential...

      children-covid

      Lonely teenagers at greater risk of poor educational outcomes

      Research from King’s College London finds that loneliness experienced at age 12 increases the risk of finishing school with poor grades, as well as poor...

      ECSTeenboyReadingimg

      Professor Melanie Abas receives £2.75m in UKRI funding

      Professor Melanie Abas, with members of a new Global Health Research Group, has received £2.75m in NIHR funding to learn how best to treat depression and...

      FriendshipBench

      IoPPN staff share their thoughts on inequality on World Mental Health Day 2021

      Staff and students share their thoughts on how to tackle inequality within the mental health sector.

      equal

      IoPPN researchers shortlisted for upcoming RCPsych Awards and HSJ Awards 2021

      Several IoPPN researchers and projects have recently been shortlisted for upcoming awards.

      clapping use this one

      New study explores the influence of complex trauma on mental health and cognitive function

      Findings showed that complex trauma exposure is linked with a wide range of mental health disorders and cognitive impairments.

      Troubling-extent-trauma-PTSD-young-people-780x440

      Young people share tips for coping with anger

      King’s College London have worked alongside children and young people to create a short film that helps them to process feelings of anger that have been...

      Child yelling Jason Rosewell

      BBC Bitesize 'Parents We Got You' campaign features tips on managing obsessive compulsive behaviours

      The article help parents recognise the difference between normal worries and more excessive and troubling behaviour

      Parent and children using a tablet

      Mental health experts team up with young people to help their peers keep cool during the pandemic

      Leading mental health clinicians and researchers are working with young people to produce three short films and a social media campaign to help young people...

      Graphics from the Keep Cool project

      Personal accounts of childhood maltreatment matter more for mental health than official records

      Personal accounts of childhood maltreatment show a stronger association with psychiatric problems compared to legal proof that maltreatment occurred,...

      Personal accounts of childhood maltreatment matter more for mental health than official records Dra

      Features

      'Families Under Pressure' in a post-pandemic world

      While we hope we have now seen the worst of COVID-19, the emotional and behavioural challenges that arose during this unprecedented time are ongoing. As a...

      Untitled (780 × 440 px) (1903 × 558 px) (3)

      How has COVID-19 impacted children and young people?

      Since children and adolescents were considered a low health risk, they were far from a priority in the early stages of the pandemic. But with the disruption...

      Untitled (780 × 440 px) (1903 × 558 px) (1)

      Brainwaves podcast series

      Brainwaves is a podcast series exploring and explaining the latest in mental health and neurosciences research at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology &...

      hero image - brainwaves