Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration

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Mental health specialty therapeutic area

Summary

The NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) brings together leading investigators in experimental medicine and early-stage translational mental health research from across the UK to accelerate discoveries into clinical practice.

The MH-TRC connects centres of excellence across the UK, bringing together world-leading research expertise with infrastructure funded by the NIHR located in major universities and NHS Trusts.

The MH-TRC has recently shown the strength of its collaborative approach by securing over £42 million for Phase 1 of the NIHR and Office for Life Science (OLS) Mental Health Mission (MHM).

“The MH-TRC is making a significant and positive impact on research focused on improving mental health. Particularly in areas of unmet need. We are working in partnership with patients and public, industry and the leading academic centres to make sure the full strength of our collaboration is realised.

“The MH-TRC is delivering the Mental Health Mission, pulling together academics, the life sciences industry and charities with ambitious goals in early psychosis, depression and children and young people's research.

“Growth in capacity in people and technology is also an essential focus, in order to deliver cutting edge research that is able to transform mental health interventions across the UK.”

- Professor Rachel Upthegrove, NIHR MH-TRC Chair.

What is the Mental Health Mission (MHM

The MHM is one of the healthcare research priorities announced by the government as part of its 'Life Sciences Vision'.

The MHM will increase capacity in mental health research through the provision of relevant training and creation of better systems to support industry led research and investment across the UK. Specific focus will be paid to addressing both areas of unmet need and high burden of mental illness.

Our expertise and capabilities

The NIHR MH-TRC brings together:

World-class mental health clinical research facilities across the NIHR’s Biomedical Research Centres and Clinical Research Facilities
The NIHR Mental Health MedTech Co-operative
Additional centres of excellence across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The main focus areas of our TRC include:

MH-TRC Workstreams and Leads

Capacity Development – Dr Shruti Garg and Dr Kate Saunders
Children and Young People’s Mental Health – Professor Helen Minnis
Data and Digital – Professor Ann John and Professor John Ainsworth
Early Psychosis – Professor Graham Murray
Industry and Regulation – Professor Rachel Upthegrove
Mood Disorders – Professor Mike Browning
Omics, Biobanking and the NIHR Bioresource – Professor Gerome Breen
Substance Use and Addictions – Professor Sir John Strang

Mental Health Mission Demonstrator sites

Who we are

The NIHR MH-TRC is led by Chair Professor Rachel Upthegrove from the University of Birmingham, Emeritus Chair Professor John Geddes from the NIHR Oxford Health BRC and Deputy Chair Professor Jeremy Hall from Cardiff University.

The breadth of mental health expertise in the UK

This map shows mental health centres based across the UK (listed below) which are part of the MH TRC.

This map is correct as of 1 December 2023.

NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) and leads of the MH-TRC:

Other centres and clinical academic leads

Interested in partnering with the MH-TRC?

If you have ideas for research collaborations, we can help you to work with theme-focused experts from across the UK to develop and deliver your own research quickly and accelerate translation to the clinic.

We help develop ideas from a very early stage through to a mature project suitable for a funding application.

We are keen to explore collaborations with experts in the UK, as well as the life sciences industry, charities and other stakeholders, to build a considerable mass of capacity and capabilities to tackle the biggest challenges in mental health.

For further information about the MH-TRC and to find out how to work with us, please submit an enquiry for our Translational Research Collaborations.

Our projects

The TRC and its members are actively involved in different projects aiming to improve research into mental health. Some examples include:

NIHR Mental Health Bioresource

GLAD is a project set up to support studies exploring risk factors for depression and/or anxiety.

As part of its workstream “Development of well-defined patient cohorts through the NIHR Bioresource”, the MH TRC has been prompting the use of this trial-ready cohort among both companies and mental health researchers. Read this update on recruitment to the GLAD study.