Mental Health Network champion collaborative research benefits with Inverness event success
North of Scotland research collaboration ambitions were placed in the spotlight during a successful event this month, funded and organised by the NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Mental Health Network
Held at the University of Highlands and Islands’ Life Sciences Innovation Centre in Inverness on Friday 8, the North Node Research Collaboration event placed a focus on research around psychosis — a core feature of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, which affect millions worldwide.
The Network was pleased to host an array of speakers from the north and beyond, each focussing on a different aspect of psychosis research.
The aim of the event was to encourage research collaboration among clinicians and academics across Grampian and Highland — and a follow-up gathering is already under consideration for next year.
The programme featured a wide spectrum of presentations including:
- ‘Lived Experience — Impact of schizophrenia on families’ from Jacqueline Waring, speaking about her experience of losing her son to suicide
- ‘Improving Acute in-patient Psychiatric Care — Applying attachment based formulations’ from Dr Sean Harper, North node lead for the Scottish Mental Health Research Network; and Director of Psychology at NHS Grampian
- An Early Career Researcher (ECR) spotlight featuring ‘The Impact of Genetic Background on Risk of Developing Schizophrenia’ from Philomena Halford, a Research Technician and part-time PhD student
- ‘Research Priorities in Psychosis — The expert by experience perspective’ from Professor Andrew Gumley, a Professor of Psychological Therapy at the University of Glasgow
- ‘Joining the Dots Between Bio-psycho-social Research in Psychosis’ from Dr Neil McNamara, Consultant Psychiatrist at NHS Highland
The morning session was chaired by Dr Donald MacIntyre, NRS Mental Health Director, Consultant General Psychiatrist at NHS Lothian, and Associate Medical Director (Mental Health) at NHS 24.
The afternoon session was chaired by Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist, Dr Ashleigh Duthie, who works with the Network, developing national and local capacity to support clinical studies, with roles in medical training and recruitment.
Donald said: “We are delighted that the event went well with excellent speakers and a full, receptive audience gathering in Inverness.
“We would particularly like to thank our dozen speakers who offered a diverse and fascinating mix of perspectives including clinical, research, and personal experiences, helping to improve our collective understanding for people living with psychosis and their families.”
Network Manager Catherine Deith added: “Dr Neil McNamara and Dr Sean Harper deserve our special gratitude — both were key to the event taking place by offering speaker suggestions and helping to ensure a full house on the day.
“While progress in better understanding psychosis through research continues to evolve positively, there is still a great deal that we need to explore.
“Events like these help us to do that and collaborate better across different disciplines. That is why we are already discussing a follow-up for 2027.”
The Mental Health Network operates across Scotland. It aims to create and maintain the best environment for mental health research by increasing research activity across Scotland, diversifying the portfolio of research studies and increasing the participation of patients and clinicians in research.
- Pictured are Consultant Psychiatrist at NHS Highland, Dr Neil McNamara; and Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Dr Ashleigh Duthie who works with the Network
Publication date: 18th May 2026
