CPFT researcher receives Future Leaders Fellowship award
CPFT researcher and consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Anna Moore has been named as one of the UK’s “most promising research leaders” winning national funding for their research and innovation projects.
Anna (pictured) is one of 75 researchers and innovators around the country receiving a total £101 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships to tackle major global issues and commercialise their innovations.
Working with children, families, CPFT child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and the Cambridge Children’s Hospital project, Dr Anna Moore is developing easy-to-use digital tools to transform mental health treatment for young people, by helping clinicians diagnose conditions much earlier.
The system, called Timely, will use AI to analyse patient data, joining the dots to spot the early signs of mental health conditions. The tool will be designed to reduce health inequality, improve service efficiency, and ensure data use is ethical and publicly acceptable.
Anna said: "We know that as many as 40% of children with a physical health problem could also have a mental health condition. This project will provide a range of new AI-powered digital tools that will make it easier to identify these mental health problems much earlier. It’s exciting to be part of ground-breaking work to improve access to mental health care for young people.
By partnering with local and national organisations, we have the support and potential to really revolutionise CAMHS services for children in our region and those visiting for specialist care.”
Anna is one of many researchers at CPFT conducting studies and projects to improve NHS services, care and treatments, which will ensure better physical and mental health for all in future.
CPFT Research and Development Director Dr Ben Underwood said:
“I am delighted that Dr Moore has received this award. She is a truly exceptional clinician with a deep commitment to helping children, so it is very well deserved. Her work is genuinely ground-breaking and will lead to a detailed understanding of mental and physical disorders in childhood. This will in turn lead to better outcomes for them, which will be a great return on this national investment.”
UKRI’s flagship Future Leaders Fellowships allow universities and businesses to develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators and to attract new people to their organisations, including from overseas. There will be two additional upcoming funding rounds of over £100 million each, with deadlines expected in summer 2024 and 2025.
UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said: “UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training, giving them the freedom to explore adventurous new ideas, and to build dynamic careers that break down the boundaries between sectors and disciplines.
“The fellows announced today illustrate how this scheme empowers talented researchers and innovators to build the diverse and connected research and innovation system we need to shorten the distance between discovery and prosperity across the UK.”
