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James Walters

Professor James Walters

Director, Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics; Deputy Director/Professor, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences

School of Medicine

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Media commentator

Overview

My research interests centre on three areas: (i) using genetics to gain insight into the basis of psychosis and schizophrenia including characterising the clinical features of those carrying rare genetic variants (ii) studying the genetic, biological and psychosocial factors associated with treatment-resistant schizophrenia with the aim of stratifying those with psychosis to develop more personalised treatment approaches and (iii) investigating the nature and genetic basis of cognitive deficits across the psychosis spectrum including developing methods of on-line cognitive assessment.

I am the Deputy Director of the National Centre for Mental Health and am an honorary consultant psychiatrist with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Early Intervention in Psychosis Service.

I am co-lead of the Undergraduate Psychiatry Team for the C21 Medical Undergraduate Curriculum.

Currently I am involved in several project, programme and fellowship grants funded by the MRC, Wellcome Trust and Brain and Behaviour Research Foundation.

Publication

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Articles

Book sections

Websites

Research

My research interests centre on three areas: (i) using genetics to gain insight into the basis of psychosis and schizophrenia including characterising the clinical features of those carrying rare genetic variants (ii) studying the genetic, biological and psychosocial factors associated with treatment-resistant schizophrenia with the aim of stratifying those with psychosis to develop more personalised treatment approaches and (iii) investigating the nature and genetic basis of cognitive deficits across the psychosis spectrum including developing methods of on-line cognitive assessment. 

Currently I am involved in several project, programme and fellowship grants funded by the MRC, Wellcome Trust and Brain and Behaviour Research Foundation.

I am lead supervisor to three PhD students: Dr Kim Kendall (Wellcome Trust fellowship), Amy Lynham (BBRF, MRC Centre) and Dr Gemma Williams (MRC and BBRF funded). I also co-supervise John Hubert (MRC funded).

I also supervise research projects for masters (bioinformatics and biostats, psychiatry) and intercalated degrees as well as offer psychology placements and medical student selected component projects.

Teaching

I am co-lead of the Undergraduate Psychiatry Team for the C21 Medical Undergraduate Curriculum. The innovations and developments of the course we have introduced have been recognised with several local and national awards.

I developed and oversee the Winter School in Psychiatry for medical students.

I also teach on the Psychology and Medicine Intercalated degree course, the core PhD teaching course and the Summer School.

Biography

Honours and awards

In 2016 I was awarded the inaugural Cardiff University Dean of Research Excellence award.

In 2012 I received the Baer Prize for Innovative Research in Schizophrenia awarded by the Brain and Behaviour Research Foundation.