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Mitul Mehta

Professor Mitul Mehta PhD

Director, Centre for Innovative Therapeutics

  • Professor of Neuroimaging & Psychopharmacology

Contact details

Biography

Mitul joined King’s College London as a post-doctoral researcher in Neuroimaging in 2003 with the aim of setting up a research group focussed on pharmacological neuroimaging using MRI methodology. He worked with positron emission tomography at Imperial College for a number of years as an MRC Training Fellow before moving to King’s. A Wellcome Trust Value in People Award enabled the transition. His work was recognised by the British Association for Psychopharmacology Young Investigator Award. At King’s his group brought quantitative methods to identify drug mechanisms and classify different compounds and used classic tracking methods (phMRI) to develop assays of drug modulation. These methods are utilised to understand existing compounds as well as assay novel compounds and we have tested various mechanisms, including in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry.

Currently, Mitul is Head of the Neuropharmacology Group and Section in the Department of Neuroimaging, Theme Lead of Experimental Medicine and Novel Therapeutics at the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health and Director of the IoPPN Centre for Innovative Therapeutics. Outside of King’s he has served on the Council for the British Association for Psychopharmacology as a member (2011-2014) and meetings secretary (2015-2020).

Research interests

Mitul has a keen interest in brain modulation methods, primarily with pharmacological agents with a goal to enhance research into novel treatment in psychiatric and neurological syndromes. He works on all stages of the research process in humans, including practical aspects of study design and implementation, novel task development, image acquisition and analytical approaches. He has examined drugs that target dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, glutamate, acetycholine and histamine receptors as well as intracellular modulators. Our work is relevant for multiple syndromes including ADHD, schizophrenia, depression and Parkinson’s disease.

Teaching

  • Research Methods
  • Pharmacological Imaging

Expertise and public engagement

Mitul has been involved with the British Association for Psychopharmacology in organising the annual Summer Meeting, including a lecture for the public. He also co-leads a biennial residential course in non-clinical psychopharmacology.

He have acted as a consultant to various companies and sat on advisory boards.

In terms of public engagement, he and group members regularly work with the scientific or general media on articles, interviews, programming. They had a live experiment to showcase psychopharmacology research at the Science Gallery.

    Research

    London landscape
    Ageing Research at King's (ARK)

    Cross faculty consortium addressing ageing and healthy longevity.

    pexels-anna-shvets-4226219-min
    ATTENS Project

    The ATTENS Project explores the potential of eTNS in improving symptoms, cognitive performance and the functioning of the brain in children with ADHD.

    Project status: Ongoing

    ebrain-cropped-780x440
    e-BRAIN

    e-BRAIN: The impact of early adversity on trajectories of brain maturation and mental health in young adolescents

    Project status: Ongoing

    MRI Scanner
    Identifying Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Bipolar Depression

    This study aims to identify brain scanning biomarkers which can be used to help diagnose and treat patients and the development of new medications.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Centre for Neuroimaging
    Ketamine Research

    Using brain imaging techniques, we will observe the effects of ketamine treatment on brain activity patterns and how this relates to any changes in the symptoms of treatment resistant depression.

    King’s Open Research Group Initiative (KORGI)

    The King’s Open Research Group Initiative (or KORGI) is an action-oriented committee composed of an interdisciplinary mix of senior academics and experienced research staff that seek to change policy and procedures to promote transparent, accessible and reproducible research.

    thumbnaillogogvs2
    Centre for Innovative Therapeutics (C-FIT)

    C-FIT accelerates research with the aim of transforming lives.

    CFIT_KCL_Thumbnails_LogoStacked_4_780_440ppi
    Point-of-care testing

    Point of care testing for clozapine levels in patient blood.

    Project status: Completed

    News

    Lord O'Shaughnessy visits King's College London and the NIHR King's Clinical Research Facility

    Lord O’Shaughnessy, Former Health Minister and Senior Partner at consultancy firm Newmarket Strategy visited IoPPN and the NIHR King's Clinical Research...

    Lord O’Shaughnessy with King's College academics

    Full house at 10th edition of IoPPN Research Festival

    The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) celebrated its 10th Research Festival in a packed Wolfson Lecture Theatre. This year's...

    RF graphic

    Structural brain differences found in people with Parkinson's Disease who experience psychosis

    New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has discovered structural brain differences in...

    The brain.

    Problems in thinking and attention linked to COVID-19 infection

    Evidence of cognitive deficits in people who have recovered from COVID-19 has been discovered in a new study of over 80,000 individuals.

    brain

    New NIHR Funding to explore effects of external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation in ADHD

    Multi-centre study led by Professor Katya Rubia will look at this alternative, non-drug treatment for children with ADHD

    Children playing indoors

    The Voice of God in Revelation and Illness: understanding shared processes and differences through humanities, psychiatry, and experimental neuroscience

    Professor Hugh Bowden is working on a cross-faculty research project investigating how revelatory experiences, like hearing divine voices, are experienced,...

    Delphi_temple_of_Apollo

    Trial testing a unique formulation of ibuprofen to treat COVID-19 launches

    A trial of a unique formulation of ibuprofen treatment for treating severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a complication of COVID-19, has...

    Trial testing a unique formulation of ibuprofen to treat COVID-19 launches

    Events

    17MayResearch Festival

    IoPPN Research Festival 2023 - 10th Edition - Looking back to look forward

    Please join us on 17 May 2023 to celebrate the innovative and exciting research taking place at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at...

    Please note: this event has passed.

    30NovNeurotechnologies Thumb

    Neurotechnologies: Current Developments, Applications and Ethical Issues

    This symposium will broadly focus on neurotechnologies for neuroscience research, mental health and neurology applications.

    Please note: this event has passed.

      Research

      London landscape
      Ageing Research at King's (ARK)

      Cross faculty consortium addressing ageing and healthy longevity.

      pexels-anna-shvets-4226219-min
      ATTENS Project

      The ATTENS Project explores the potential of eTNS in improving symptoms, cognitive performance and the functioning of the brain in children with ADHD.

      Project status: Ongoing

      ebrain-cropped-780x440
      e-BRAIN

      e-BRAIN: The impact of early adversity on trajectories of brain maturation and mental health in young adolescents

      Project status: Ongoing

      MRI Scanner
      Identifying Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Bipolar Depression

      This study aims to identify brain scanning biomarkers which can be used to help diagnose and treat patients and the development of new medications.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Centre for Neuroimaging
      Ketamine Research

      Using brain imaging techniques, we will observe the effects of ketamine treatment on brain activity patterns and how this relates to any changes in the symptoms of treatment resistant depression.

      King’s Open Research Group Initiative (KORGI)

      The King’s Open Research Group Initiative (or KORGI) is an action-oriented committee composed of an interdisciplinary mix of senior academics and experienced research staff that seek to change policy and procedures to promote transparent, accessible and reproducible research.

      thumbnaillogogvs2
      Centre for Innovative Therapeutics (C-FIT)

      C-FIT accelerates research with the aim of transforming lives.

      CFIT_KCL_Thumbnails_LogoStacked_4_780_440ppi
      Point-of-care testing

      Point of care testing for clozapine levels in patient blood.

      Project status: Completed

      News

      Lord O'Shaughnessy visits King's College London and the NIHR King's Clinical Research Facility

      Lord O’Shaughnessy, Former Health Minister and Senior Partner at consultancy firm Newmarket Strategy visited IoPPN and the NIHR King's Clinical Research...

      Lord O’Shaughnessy with King's College academics

      Full house at 10th edition of IoPPN Research Festival

      The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) celebrated its 10th Research Festival in a packed Wolfson Lecture Theatre. This year's...

      RF graphic

      Structural brain differences found in people with Parkinson's Disease who experience psychosis

      New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has discovered structural brain differences in...

      The brain.

      Problems in thinking and attention linked to COVID-19 infection

      Evidence of cognitive deficits in people who have recovered from COVID-19 has been discovered in a new study of over 80,000 individuals.

      brain

      New NIHR Funding to explore effects of external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation in ADHD

      Multi-centre study led by Professor Katya Rubia will look at this alternative, non-drug treatment for children with ADHD

      Children playing indoors

      The Voice of God in Revelation and Illness: understanding shared processes and differences through humanities, psychiatry, and experimental neuroscience

      Professor Hugh Bowden is working on a cross-faculty research project investigating how revelatory experiences, like hearing divine voices, are experienced,...

      Delphi_temple_of_Apollo

      Trial testing a unique formulation of ibuprofen to treat COVID-19 launches

      A trial of a unique formulation of ibuprofen treatment for treating severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a complication of COVID-19, has...

      Trial testing a unique formulation of ibuprofen to treat COVID-19 launches

      Events

      17MayResearch Festival

      IoPPN Research Festival 2023 - 10th Edition - Looking back to look forward

      Please join us on 17 May 2023 to celebrate the innovative and exciting research taking place at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at...

      Please note: this event has passed.

      30NovNeurotechnologies Thumb

      Neurotechnologies: Current Developments, Applications and Ethical Issues

      This symposium will broadly focus on neurotechnologies for neuroscience research, mental health and neurology applications.

      Please note: this event has passed.