![Sophie Smart BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/3648?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Sophie Smart
(she/her)
BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA
Teams and roles for Sophie Smart
Research Associate, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
Overview
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate based in the psychosis research group, within the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (Division of Psychological Medicine & Clinical Neurosciences). As a researcher specialising in schizophrenia, genetics, and epidemiological methodology, I am interested in finding ways to identify subgroups of people with psychosis so they may benefit from more tailored healthcare.
I am currently working on an MRC Programme Grant called the Genetics to Improve Outcomes in Schizophrenia (GENios) project. This follows on from work I have done previously as part of an EU-funded project to use real-world data to improve outcomes and a pharma-funded drugs discovery collaboration.
Publication
2025
- Koch, E. et al. 2025. Recommendations for defining treatment outcomes in major psychiatric disorders using real-world data. The Lancet Psychiatry 12(6), pp. 457-468. (10.1016/S2215-0366(25)00061-6)
- Kappel, D., Smart, S., Owen, M., O'Donovan, M., Pardiñas, A. and Walters, J. 2025. Association between genetic liability to physical health conditions and comorbidities in individuals with severe mental illness: an analysis of two cross-sectional observational studies in the UK. The Lancet Psychiatry 12(6), pp. 447-456. (10.1016/S2215-0366(25)00123-3)
- Smart, S. E. et al. 2025. The role of SLC39A8.p.( Ala391Thr ) in schizophrenia symptom severity and cognitive ability: cross‐sectional studies of schizophrenia and the general UK population. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, article number: e33037. (10.1002/ajmg.b.33037)
2024
- Owen, D., Lynham, A. J., Smart, S. E., Pardiñas, A. F. and Camacho Collados, J. 2024. AI for analyzing mental health disorders among social media users: Quarter-century narrative review of progress and challenges. Journal of Medical Internet Research 26, article number: e59225. (10.2196/59225)
- Woolway, G. E. et al. 2024. Assessing the validity of a self-reported clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia 10(1), article number: 99. (10.1038/s41537-024-00526-5)
2023
- Griffiths, K. et al. 2023. Treatment resistance NMDA receptor pathway polygenic score is associated with brain glutamate in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research 260, pp. 152-159. (10.1016/j.schres.2023.08.020)
- Smart, S. E., Dimes, H., Lumley, C., Spooner, S., Anderson, S., Platt, S. and Davidson, S. 2023. A volunteer-run, face-to-face, early intervention service for reducing suicidality: a service evaluation of the listening place. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention 44(4), pp. 349-360. (10.1027/0227-5910/a000879)
- Millgate, E. et al. 2023. Cognitive performance at first episode of psychosis and the relationship with future treatment resistance: Evidence from an international prospective cohort study. Schizophrenia Research 255, pp. 173-181. (10.1016/j.schres.2023.03.020)
2022
- Pistis, G. et al. 2022. Gene set enrichment analysis of pathophysiological pathways highlights oxidative stress in psychosis. Molecular Psychiatry 27, pp. 5135-5143. (10.1038/s41380-022-01779-1)
- Smart, S. E. et al. 2022. Clinical predictors of antipsychotic treatment resistance: Development and internal validation of a prognostic prediction model by the STRATA-G consortium. Schizophrenia Research 250, pp. 1-9. (10.1016/j.schres.2022.09.009)
- Millgate, E. et al. 2022. Cognitive function and treatment response trajectories in first-episode schizophrenia: evidence from a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open 12(11), article number: e062570. (10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062570)
- Fonseca de Freitas, D. et al. 2022. Clinical correlates of early onset antipsychotic treatment resistance. Journal of Psychopharmacology 36(11), pp. 1226-1233. (10.1177/02698811221132537)
- Woolway, G. et al. 2022. Schizophrenia polygenic risk and experiences of childhood adversity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin 48(5), pp. 967-980. (10.1093/schbul/sbac049)
- Kadra-Scalzo, G. et al. 2022. A predictor model of treatment resistance in schizophrenia using data from electronic health records. PLoS ONE 17(9), article number: e0274864. (10.1371/journal.pone.0274864)
- Fonseca de Freitas, D. et al. 2022. Using a statistical learning approach to identify sociodemographic and clinical predictors of response to clozapine. Journal of Psychopharmacology 36(4), pp. 498-506. (10.1177/02698811221078746)
- Siskind, D. et al. 2022. Rates of treatment-resistant schizophrenia from first-episode cohorts: systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychiatry 220(3), pp. 115-120. (10.1192/bjp.2021.61)
- Pardinas, A. et al. 2022. Interaction testing and polygenic risk scoring to estimate the contribution of common genetic variants to treatment resistance in schizophrenia. JAMA Psychiatry 79(3), pp. 260-269. (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3799)
2021
- Homman, L. E., Smart, S. E., O'Neill, F. and MacCabe, J. H. 2021. Attrition in longitudinal studies among patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses; findings from the STRATA collaboration. Psychiatry Research 305, article number: 114211. (10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114211)
- Gifford, G. et al. 2021. Integrated metastate functional connectivity networks predict change in symptom severity in clinical high risk for psychosis. Human Brain Mapping 42(2), pp. 439-451. (10.1002/hbm.25235)
- Smart, S. E., Kepinska, A. P., Murray, R. M. and MacCabe, J. H. 2021. Predictors of treatment resistant schizophrenia: a systematic review of prospective observational studies. Psychological Medicine 51(1), pp. 44-53. (10.1017/S0033291719002083)
2020
- McGuire, P. et al. 2020. Neural circuitry of novelty salience processing in psychosis risk: association with clinical outcome. Schizophrenia Bulletin 46(3), pp. 670-679. (10.1093/schbul/sbz089)
2018
- Kravariti, E. et al. 2018. Applying the Higher Education Academy framework for partnership in learning and teaching in higher education to online partnership learning communities: a case atudy and an extended model. Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal 6(2), pp. 143-164. (10.20343/teachlearninqu.6.2.11)
Articles
- Koch, E. et al. 2025. Recommendations for defining treatment outcomes in major psychiatric disorders using real-world data. The Lancet Psychiatry 12(6), pp. 457-468. (10.1016/S2215-0366(25)00061-6)
- Kappel, D., Smart, S., Owen, M., O'Donovan, M., Pardiñas, A. and Walters, J. 2025. Association between genetic liability to physical health conditions and comorbidities in individuals with severe mental illness: an analysis of two cross-sectional observational studies in the UK. The Lancet Psychiatry 12(6), pp. 447-456. (10.1016/S2215-0366(25)00123-3)
- Smart, S. E. et al. 2025. The role of SLC39A8.p.( Ala391Thr ) in schizophrenia symptom severity and cognitive ability: cross‐sectional studies of schizophrenia and the general UK population. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, article number: e33037. (10.1002/ajmg.b.33037)
- Owen, D., Lynham, A. J., Smart, S. E., Pardiñas, A. F. and Camacho Collados, J. 2024. AI for analyzing mental health disorders among social media users: Quarter-century narrative review of progress and challenges. Journal of Medical Internet Research 26, article number: e59225. (10.2196/59225)
- Woolway, G. E. et al. 2024. Assessing the validity of a self-reported clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia 10(1), article number: 99. (10.1038/s41537-024-00526-5)
- Griffiths, K. et al. 2023. Treatment resistance NMDA receptor pathway polygenic score is associated with brain glutamate in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research 260, pp. 152-159. (10.1016/j.schres.2023.08.020)
- Smart, S. E., Dimes, H., Lumley, C., Spooner, S., Anderson, S., Platt, S. and Davidson, S. 2023. A volunteer-run, face-to-face, early intervention service for reducing suicidality: a service evaluation of the listening place. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention 44(4), pp. 349-360. (10.1027/0227-5910/a000879)
- Millgate, E. et al. 2023. Cognitive performance at first episode of psychosis and the relationship with future treatment resistance: Evidence from an international prospective cohort study. Schizophrenia Research 255, pp. 173-181. (10.1016/j.schres.2023.03.020)
- Pistis, G. et al. 2022. Gene set enrichment analysis of pathophysiological pathways highlights oxidative stress in psychosis. Molecular Psychiatry 27, pp. 5135-5143. (10.1038/s41380-022-01779-1)
- Smart, S. E. et al. 2022. Clinical predictors of antipsychotic treatment resistance: Development and internal validation of a prognostic prediction model by the STRATA-G consortium. Schizophrenia Research 250, pp. 1-9. (10.1016/j.schres.2022.09.009)
- Millgate, E. et al. 2022. Cognitive function and treatment response trajectories in first-episode schizophrenia: evidence from a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open 12(11), article number: e062570. (10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062570)
- Fonseca de Freitas, D. et al. 2022. Clinical correlates of early onset antipsychotic treatment resistance. Journal of Psychopharmacology 36(11), pp. 1226-1233. (10.1177/02698811221132537)
- Woolway, G. et al. 2022. Schizophrenia polygenic risk and experiences of childhood adversity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin 48(5), pp. 967-980. (10.1093/schbul/sbac049)
- Kadra-Scalzo, G. et al. 2022. A predictor model of treatment resistance in schizophrenia using data from electronic health records. PLoS ONE 17(9), article number: e0274864. (10.1371/journal.pone.0274864)
- Fonseca de Freitas, D. et al. 2022. Using a statistical learning approach to identify sociodemographic and clinical predictors of response to clozapine. Journal of Psychopharmacology 36(4), pp. 498-506. (10.1177/02698811221078746)
- Siskind, D. et al. 2022. Rates of treatment-resistant schizophrenia from first-episode cohorts: systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychiatry 220(3), pp. 115-120. (10.1192/bjp.2021.61)
- Pardinas, A. et al. 2022. Interaction testing and polygenic risk scoring to estimate the contribution of common genetic variants to treatment resistance in schizophrenia. JAMA Psychiatry 79(3), pp. 260-269. (10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3799)
- Homman, L. E., Smart, S. E., O'Neill, F. and MacCabe, J. H. 2021. Attrition in longitudinal studies among patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses; findings from the STRATA collaboration. Psychiatry Research 305, article number: 114211. (10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114211)
- Gifford, G. et al. 2021. Integrated metastate functional connectivity networks predict change in symptom severity in clinical high risk for psychosis. Human Brain Mapping 42(2), pp. 439-451. (10.1002/hbm.25235)
- Smart, S. E., Kepinska, A. P., Murray, R. M. and MacCabe, J. H. 2021. Predictors of treatment resistant schizophrenia: a systematic review of prospective observational studies. Psychological Medicine 51(1), pp. 44-53. (10.1017/S0033291719002083)
- McGuire, P. et al. 2020. Neural circuitry of novelty salience processing in psychosis risk: association with clinical outcome. Schizophrenia Bulletin 46(3), pp. 670-679. (10.1093/schbul/sbz089)
- Kravariti, E. et al. 2018. Applying the Higher Education Academy framework for partnership in learning and teaching in higher education to online partnership learning communities: a case atudy and an extended model. Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal 6(2), pp. 143-164. (10.20343/teachlearninqu.6.2.11)
Research
As a researcher specialising in schizophrenia and epidemiological methodology, I am interested in finding ways to identify subgroups of people with psychosis so they may benefit from more tailored healthcare. I am passionate about providing an excellent research experience for participants, pursuing transparent science, and using my knowledge of research design and statistics to improve the scientific process.
Teaching
In May 2025 I became a Fellow of AdvanceHE (FHEA). I teach epidemiological research methods and statistics on the Applied Bioinformatics and Genomics (MSc) and Applied Bioinformatics and Genetic Epidemiology (MSc) postgraduate taught courses.
Biography
After an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master's degree in psychiatric research, I began working as a research assistant at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN). I stayed there for over 4 years, working on various studies involving participants with schizophrenia. It was during my years at the IoPPN that I completed a PhD part-time.
In January 2020, I joined the psychosis research group within the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics & Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine & Clinical Neurosciences.
Outside of work, I volunteer for a charity called The Listening Place (TLP) by supervising their service evaluations. TLP provides face-to-face support, by trained volunteers, for people who no longer feel that life is worth living.
Academic positions
- 2020-Present: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics & Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine & Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University
- 2016-2019: PhD Student, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London
- 2015-2019: Research Worker, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Mental Health
- Psychiatric Genetics
- Statistical and quantitative genetics
- Epidemiology