Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Specialist Training Contact - Psychiatry
http://mypimd.ncl.ac.uk/PIMDDev/pimd-home/careers/applying-to-specialty-training-vocational-training-scheme/who-can-help-me/specialty-training-st

Qualifications

BMedSci(Hons)

MBBS

MRCP(UK)

MRCPsych

PhD

Previous Positions

House Officer in General Medicine to Professors Kendall-Taylor, Baylis and Taylor, RVI, Newcastle (1996)
House Officer in General and Urological Surgery to Mr Herring, County Durham (1997)
SHO in General Medicine, Central Rotation, Newcastle, (1997-2000)
SHO Basic Specialist Training in Psychiatry, Newcastle (2000-2003)
Clinical Research Associate to Professors O'Brien and McKeith (2001)
SpR in Academic Psychiatry, Newcastle (2003-OOPE)

Memberships

Royal College of Physicians (London)
Royal College of Psychiatrists
British Association for Psychopharmacology
General Medical Council

Research Interests

Magnetic resonance
Lithium
Dopamine

Current Work

Investigating the dopaminergic mechanisms of cognitive functions and brain activation on fMRI using a methamphetamine model of mania.

Developing a magnetic resonance spectroscopy tool to measure the concentration and distribution of lithium the human brain.

Future Research

Combining functional and spectroscopic MR techniques to better understand the dose related effects of lithium on brain function.

Research Roles

Registered for PhD, Newcastle University

Esteem Indicators

Honorary visiting fellow @ Insititute of Psychiatry, KCL

Funding

MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship

Patents

Pending

Undergraduate Teaching

Course organiser: Psychiatry for Students of Dentistry

Video interviews recorded to facilitate interview skills and student treaching [http//:www.ncl.ac.uk/nnp/teaching/video/case.html]

Postgraduate Teaching

MRCPsych Course
- Affective disorders module
- Psychopharmacology module
- Interview skills module

• Smith FE, Cousins DA, Thelwall P, Ferrier IN, Blamire AM. Quantitative Lithium Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in the Normal Human Brain on a 3T Clinical Scanner. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 2011, 66(4), 945-949.
• Cousins DA, Ferrier IN, Blamire AM. Translational studies on the effects of lithium. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2010, Harrogate, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Palaniyappan L, Cousins DA. Brain networks: Foundations and futures in bipolar disorder. Journal of Mental Health 2010, 19(2), 157-167.
• Cousins DA, Butts K, Young AH. The role of dopamine in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders 2009, 11(8), 787-806.
• Cousins DA, Moore PB, Watson S, Harrison L, Ferrier IN, Young AH, Lloyd AJ. Pituitary volume and third ventricle width in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010, 35(7), 1074-1081.
• Lloyd AJ, Moore PB, Cousins DA, Thompson JM, McAllister VL, Hughes JH, Ferrier IN, Young AH. White matter lesions in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2009, 120(6), 481-491.
• Cousins DA, Smith FE, Thelwall PE, Blamire AM. Determination of lithium concentrations in the human brain using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In: Clinician Scientists in Training. 2009, London: Royal College of Physicians.
• Kenny ER, O'Brien JT, Cousins DA, Richardson J, Thomas AJ, Firbank MJ, Blamire AM. Functional Connectivity in Late-Life Depression Using Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2010, 18(7), 643-651.
• McAllister-Williams RH, Cousins D, Lunn B. Clinical assessment and investigation in psychiatry. Medicine 2008, 36(8), 393-398.
• O'Brien JT, Kenny ER, Cousins D, Richardson J, Thomas A, Blamire A. Using resting state fMRI to measure functional connectivity in late life depression. In: ICGP 8th Annual Scientific Meeting. 2008, Sydney, Australia.
• Cousins DA, Young AH. The armamentarium of treatments for bipolar disorder: a review of the literature. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 2007, 10(3), 411-431.
• Massey A, Cousins DA. Assessing Mental Illness. Dispensing Doctor 2006, (12), 22-23.
• Pakrasi S, Thomas A, Mosimann UP, Cousins DA, Lett D, Burn DJ, O'Brien JT, McKeith IG. Cholinesterase inhibitors in advanced Dementia with Lewy bodies: increase or stop?. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2006, 21(8), 719-721.
• Richardson J, Cousins D, Lunn B. Could the development of an interactive website facilitate communication between psychiatric trainees?. Psychiatric Bulletin 2006, 30(2), 75.
• El-Badri SM, Cousins DA, Parker S, Ashton HC, McAllister VL, Ferrier IN, Moore PB. Magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities in young euthymic patients with bipolar affective disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry 2006, 189, 81-82.
• Cousins DA, ed. MIMS Handbook of Psychiatry. UK: Haymarket Press, 2006.
• Cousins DA, Harrison LL, Moore BP, McAllister V, Ferrier IN, Young AH, Lloyd AJ. Pituitary volume and third ventricle width in euthymic patients with bipolar affective disorder. In: Biological Psychiatry: 61st Annual Convention of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. 2006, Toronto, Canada: Elsevier Inc.
• Thomas AJ, Burn DJ, Rowan EN, Littlewood E, Newby J, Cousins D, Pakrasi S, Richardson J, Sanders J, McKeith IG. A comparison of the efficacy of donepezil in parkinson's disease with dementia and dementia with lewy bodies. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2005, 20(10), 938-944.
• Cousins DA, Young AH, Haymarket Medical Imprint. Bipolar disorder. In: Gray, R, ed. MIMS Guide to Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. London, UK: Haymarket Press, 2005.
• Cousins DA, Young AH. Clinical Investigations in Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia – Focus on Rating Scales. In: Gray, R, ed. MIMS guide to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. London, UK: Haymarket Medical Imprint, 2005.
• Cousins DA, Young AH. Disease Management Reviews – Bipolar Disorder. Future Prescriber 2005. In Press.
• Cousins DA. Emergent organic depression in association with Parkinson’s disease. 2005.
• Cousins DA, Young AH. Reply to Bolonna & Kerwin regarding Partial agonists in schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry 2005, 86(4), 354.
• Lloyd AJ, Moore PB, Cousins DA, Thompson JM, McAllister VL, Hughes JH, Ferrier IN, Young AH. [abstract] MRI hyperintensities in euthymic bipolar patients and controls. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2004, 110(s423), 26.
• Cousins DA. Depression with psychosis responding promptly to electroconvulsive therapy. 2004. Available at: http://www.psychiatrysource.com.
• Cousins DA, Young AH. Is the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis at last paying dividends?. In: European Foundation for Psychiatry at the Maudsley. 2004, Maudsley, London, UK: Martin Dunitz Press.
• Cousins DA, Barrett I, Kaplan CA. Medicolegal issues in paediatric practice: Proceedings of the 4th Northern regional paediatric colloquium. Medicine, Science and the Law 2004, 44(1), 75-79.
• Cousins DA, Burton EJ, Burn D, Gholkar A, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT. Atrophy of the putamen in dementia Lewy bodies but not Alzheimer's disease - An MRI study. Neurology 2003, 61(9), 1191-1195.
• Cousins DA. Structural Brain Abnormalities in Young Patients with Bipolar Affective Disorder. Department of Psychiatry 1995. Newcastle upon Tyne: University of Newcastle.
• Cousins DA, Aribisala B, Ferrier I, Blamire AM. Lithium, Gray Matter, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Signal. Biological Psychiatry 2013, 73(7), 652-657.
• Cousins DA, Grunze H. Interpreting Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Bipolar Disorder. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics 2012, 18(3), 201-207.
• Moore PB, El-Badri SM, Cousins D, Shepherd DJ, Young AH, McAllister VL, Ferrier IN. White matter lesions and season of birth of patients with bipolar affective disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry 2001, 158(9), 1521-1524.