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Johnny Downs

Johnny Downs

Senior Clinical Lecturer (Honorary Consultant) in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Research interests

  • Child & Family
  • Psychiatry

Contact details

Biography

Johnny is an NIHR Clinician Scientist at the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent lead, Centre for Translational Informatics. His research focuses on the use of digital information for epidemiological studies examining risks factors and outcomes for childhood neurodevelopmental and mental health disorders. Johnny's interests lie within four main areas – patient portals to enhance patient reported outcomes, natural language processing to refine the data extracted from free-text electronic records, data-linkage to integrate non-health data into clinical record analysis, and the integration of remote monitoring technology into clinical care.

Research interests

Clinical domains:

  • Autism
  • ADHD
  • Education/school performance
  • Conduct problems

Methodology:

  • Epidemiology
  • Data linkage
  • Natural language processing
  • User experience/co-design
  • Remote monitoring technology
  • Objective/multimodal assessment of mental health problems using speech, video and movement analyses

Teaching

  • Child & Adolescent Mental Health MSc
  • Centre for Urban Science and Progress MSc
  • Mental Health Studies MSc (Big Data in Mental Health Module)

Expertise and public engagement

  • 2020 – Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Integrated Academic Trainee Lead (SLaM/KCL)
  • 2019 - NIHR South London Applied Research Collaboration (Applied Informatics Theme)
  • 2019 - NIHR Child Health and Policy Research Unit (Vulnerability Theme)
  • 2019 - NIHR London Research for Patient Benefit Advisory Panel Member
  • 2019 - NIHR Longitudinal Outcomes of Gender Identity in Children (LOGIC) Steering Committee, Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust
  • 2018 - Lead, NIHR BRC Centre for Translation Informatics Child and Adolescent theme
  • 2017 - NIHR Mental Health and Policy Research Unit (Prevention Theme)

    Research

    myjourne picture
    MyJournE - A remote mood-monitoring and life event tracker for school-aged cohorts

    This project looks to assess the feasibility and acceptability of embedding an e-platform for remote mood monitoring and life event tracking within schools.

    Project status: Completed

    optima-logo.xeb57b25a
    Online Parent Training for the Initial Management of ADHD referral (OPTIMA)

    We have created a mobile phone app that provides advice and access to a set of parenting tools that can be easily provided at the point that families seek help.

    Project status: Ongoing

    The longitudinal association between school performance trajectories and offending behaviour

    A project using linked data from the National Pupil Database and Police National Computer to investigate educational trajectories and offending outcomes.

    Project status: Ongoing

    CTI-AI
    Centre for Translational Informatics (CTI)

    The Centre for Translational Informatics (CTI) is finding new ways to improve healthcare through digital technologies and accelerating their delivery to patients.

    News

    IoPPN researchers announced winners of the 2022 ACAMH Awards

    Several researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) won awards at the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health...

    star

    Five IoPPN research projects receive UKRI funding

    A total of £4.4 million funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has been awarded to research projects at the...

    Clapping Award 800x450

    Autism, ADHD and school absence are risk factors for self-harm, according to new study

    Using data from over 11,000 adolescents, researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience have identified key risk factors associated...

    Teenager sitting

    Events

    23JunCSMH Fest - Thumbnail

    Partnering for Change: AI predicting mental health - possible futures

    Part of the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health Festival 2022: Partnering for Change

    Please note: this event has passed.

      Research

      myjourne picture
      MyJournE - A remote mood-monitoring and life event tracker for school-aged cohorts

      This project looks to assess the feasibility and acceptability of embedding an e-platform for remote mood monitoring and life event tracking within schools.

      Project status: Completed

      optima-logo.xeb57b25a
      Online Parent Training for the Initial Management of ADHD referral (OPTIMA)

      We have created a mobile phone app that provides advice and access to a set of parenting tools that can be easily provided at the point that families seek help.

      Project status: Ongoing

      The longitudinal association between school performance trajectories and offending behaviour

      A project using linked data from the National Pupil Database and Police National Computer to investigate educational trajectories and offending outcomes.

      Project status: Ongoing

      CTI-AI
      Centre for Translational Informatics (CTI)

      The Centre for Translational Informatics (CTI) is finding new ways to improve healthcare through digital technologies and accelerating their delivery to patients.

      News

      IoPPN researchers announced winners of the 2022 ACAMH Awards

      Several researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) won awards at the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health...

      star

      Five IoPPN research projects receive UKRI funding

      A total of £4.4 million funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has been awarded to research projects at the...

      Clapping Award 800x450

      Autism, ADHD and school absence are risk factors for self-harm, according to new study

      Using data from over 11,000 adolescents, researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience have identified key risk factors associated...

      Teenager sitting

      Events

      23JunCSMH Fest - Thumbnail

      Partnering for Change: AI predicting mental health - possible futures

      Part of the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health Festival 2022: Partnering for Change

      Please note: this event has passed.