Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

I am an inpatient consultant psychiatrist with an Honorary contract with the NTW Foundation Trust and a HEFCE senior lecturer. I am part of the psychobiology group at Newcastle University.

Qualifications

MBBS 1992
MRCPsych 1998
MD (HPA axis in mood disorder patients 2004)

Previous Positions

Consultant Psychiatrist 2003

Memberships

British Medical Association
British Associatiopn for Psychopharmacology

Research Interests

I am interested in the pathophysiogy of mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder; and the application of this understanding to develop new treatment strategies.

Other Expertise

Psychoeducation in bipolar disorder

Current Work

I am currently running a treatment trial using a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist in bipolar depression and have recently completed studies examining the neuroendocrine and neuropsychological response to a drug that may reduce hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis activity and also have completed an epidemiological study of bipolar disorder in primary care.

Future Research

I think that there is tremendous potential to examine drugs that act on the HPA axis as new treatment strategies and I am interested in further exploring the links bewteen the immune system, the HPA axis and illness.

Esteem Indicators

NARSAD Young Investigator Award (Cytokines in bipolar patients)
HEFCE Clinical Senior Lecturer Award

Funding

Stanley Medical Research Institute
MRC

• Watson S, Gallagher P, Horton K, Bulmer S, Corcoran C, Ferrier IN. Effect of Aspirin on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Function and on Neuropsychological Performance in Healthy Adults. In: Biological Psychiatry: 64th Annual Convention of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. 2009, Vancouver, Canada: Elsevier Inc..
• Watson S, Horton K, Bulmer S, Carlile J, Corcoran C, Gallagher P, Ferrier IN. Effect of aspirin on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function and on neuropsychological performance in healthy adults: a pilot study. Psychopharmacology 2009, 205(1), 151-155.
• Watson S, Gallagher P, Porter RJ, Smith M, Elmslie JL, Ogilve A, Harikumar TR, Menon A, Carlile J, Makhoul S, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Efficacy of Mifepristone (RU-486) in the Treatment of Bipolar Depression. In: Biological Psychiatry: 64th Annual Convention of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. 2009, Vancouver, Canada: Elsevier Inc..
• Gallagher P, Watson S, Dye CE, Young A, Ferrier IN. Persistent effects of mifepristone (RU-486) on cortisol levels in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Journal of Psychiatric Research 2008, 42(12), 1037-1041.
• Mackin P, Gallagher P, Watson S, Young A, Ferrier IN. Changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor following treatment with mifepristone in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2007, 41(4), 321-326.
• Watson S, Owen BM, Gallagher P, Hearn AJ, Young AH, Ferrier IN. Family history, early adversity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis: Mediation of the vulnerability to mood disorders. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 2007, 3(5), 647-653.
• Thompson JM, Gray JM, Hughes JH, Watson S, Young AH, Ferrier IN. Impaired working memory monitoring in euthymic bipolar patients. Bipolar Disorders 2007, 9(5), 478-489.
• Watson S, Gallagher P, Smith MS, Young AH, Ferrier IN. Lithium, arginine vasopressin and the dex/CRH test in mood disordered patients. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2007, 32(5), 464-469.
• Gallagher P, Watson S, Smith MS, Young AH, Ferrier IN. Plasma cortisol-dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) ratios in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia Research 2007, 90(1-3), 258-265.
• Watson S, Gallagher P, Smith MS, Ferrier IN, Young AH. The dex/CRH test and the DST in patients with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2007. , 32(1), 92-94.
• Watson S, Chilton R, Fairchild H, Whewell P. Association between childhood trauma and dissociation among patients with borderline personality disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2006, 40(5), 478-481.
• Vasudev A, Watson S, Lloyd AJ, Harrison CL, Young AH. Bipolar prescription patterns: a cohort follow-up analysis. Quarterly Journal of Mental Health 2006,1 1 .
• Venn HR, Watson S, Gallagher P, Young AH. Facial expression perception: An objective outcome measure for treatment studies in mood disorders?. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 2006. , 9(2), 229-245.
• Watson S, Thompson JM, Ritchie JC, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Neuropsychological impairment in bipolar disorder: The relationship with glucocorticoid receptor function. Bipolar Disorders 2006, 8(1), 85-90.
• Jenkins KS, Patel D, Jennings P, Scott M, Peacock S, Lawson VE, Wallace S, Ahuja N, Watson S. Pilot of a group psycho-education programme in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders 2006, 8, 54-54.
• Menon A, McAllister-Williams RH, Watson S. Quetiapine associated with increased libido. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2006,20 1 125-127.
• Watson S, Gallagher P, Smith MS, Ferrier IN, Young AH. The dex/CRH test-Is it better than the DST?. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2006, 31(7), 889-894.
• Gallagher P, Watson S, Smith MS, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Effects of adjunctive mifepristone (RU-486) administration on neurocognitive function and symptoms in schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry 2005,57 2 155-161.
• Mackin P, Watson S, Ferrier IN. Neurobiology of depression : focus on brain-derived neurotrophic factor, cortisol and their interactions. Depression: Mind & Body 2005,2 1 11-18.
• Thompson JM, Gallagher P, Hughes JH, Watson S, Gray JM, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Neurocognitive impairment in euthymic patients with bipolar affective disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry 2005, 186, 32-40.
• Jenkins K, Patel D, Jennings P, Scott M, Peacock S, Ahuja N, Watson S. Pilot of a group psycho-education programme in bipolar disorder. In: General Adult Faculty meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.2005,Liverpool, UK
• Watson S, Thompson JM, Malik N, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Temporal stability of the dex/CRH test in patients with rapid-cycling bipolar I disorder: A pilot study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2005, 39(4), 244-248.
• Porter RJ, Gallagher P, Watson S, Young AH. Corticosteroid-serotonin interactions in depression: A review of the human evidence. Psychopharmacology 2004. ,173 1 1-17.
• Hearn AJ, Gallagher P, Owen BM, Smith MS, Watson S, Young AH. Effect of sub-chronic hydrocortisone on responses to amphetamine in normal male volunteers. Psychopharmacology 2004,171 4 458-464.
• Watson S, Gallagher P, Ritchie JC, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in patients with bipolar disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry 2004,184 496-502.
• Young AH, Gallagher P, Watson S, Del-Estal D, Owen BM, Ferrier IN. Improvements in neurocognitive function and mood following adjunctive treatment with mifepristone (RU-486) in bipolar disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2004,29 8 1538-1545.
• Smith MS, Malik N, Gallagher P, Watson S, Mackin P, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Neurocognitive and neuroendocrine effects of mifepristone (RU-486) in schizophrenia. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2004, Harrogate, UK: Sage Publications Ltd..
• Ferrier IN, Chowdhury R, Thompson JM, Watson S, Young AH. Neurocognitive function in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorder: A preliminary report. Bipolar Disorders 2004,6 4 319-322.
• McAllister-Williams RH, Watson S. Bipolar disorder ignored by the Mental Health National Service Framework but not forgotten by the British Association for Psychopharmacology. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2003. ,17 4 7-10.
• Vasudev A, Watson S, Harrison CL, Lloyd A, Young AH. Bipolar prescription patterns. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2003, Cambridge, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Watson S, Chilton R, Venn H, Cookson A, Whewell P. Early adverse life experiences in patients with borderline personality disorder. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2003, Cambridge, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Porter RJ, Gallagher P, Watson S, Smith MS, Young AH. Elevated prolactin responses to L-tryptophan infusion in medication-free depressed patients. Psychopharmacology 2003,169 1 77-83.
• Young AH, Watson S, Gallagher P, Smith MS, Del-Estal D, Owen BM, Hearn A. Mifepristone (RU-486) in the treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In: Biological Psychiatry: 58th Annual Convention and Scientific Program of the Society of Biological Psychiatry. 2003, San Francisco, California, USA: Elsevier Inc.
• Watson S, Malik N, Smith MS, Young AH, Ferrier IN. The cortisol response to the DEX/CRH test is stable over time in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder (RCBD). In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2003, Cambridge, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Watson S, Gallagher P, Del-Estal D, Hearn A, Ferrier IN, Young AH. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in patients with chronic depression. Psychological Medicine 2002,32 6 1021-1028.
• Watson S, Young AH. Dopaminergic sensitivity and prediction of antidepressant response. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2000, 14(4), 419-419.
• Watson S, Porter RJ, Young AH. Effect of hydrocortisone on the pituitary response to growth hormone releasing hormone. Psychopharmacology 2000, 152(1), 40-46.
• Watson S and Young A H. How and Why to change antidepressants. Update 1998, 56(9), 822-826.
• Sigalas PD, Watson S. Early Adversity and Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function: Cross-Diagnostic Common Findings in Different Studies. Biological Psychiatry 2011, 70(5), E29.
• Watson S, Bulmer S, Gallagher P, Svennson LJ, Smith MS, Watkinson HMO, Harikumar TR, Carlile J, Ferrier IN, Young AH. The efficacy of mifepristone in bipolar depression - Effect on mood symptoms. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2011, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Gallagher P, Gray JM, Watson S, Young AH, Ferrier IN. Visuo-spatial memory in bipolar depression: Neuropsychological and HPA axis correlates. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2011, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Young AH, Watson S, Gallagher P, Del-Estal D, Owen BM, Hearn AJ, Porter RJ. The effects of glucocorticoid antagonists in unipolar and bipolar disorders [abstract]. Biological Psychiatry 2002, 51(8 (s)), 83S abstract no. 244.
• Watson S, Young AM. The role of endogenous cortisol in neuroendocrine studies. Neuropsychopharmacology 2002, 26(3), 408.
• Watson S, Porter R. The role of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction in the attenuated growth hormone response in adolescents with familial loading for affective disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry 2002, 59(2), 186-187.
• Watson S, Man MS. Serotonin, stress and corticoids. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2000, 14(4), 419-420.
• Watson S, Young AH. Reduced dopaminergic activity in depressed suicides. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2001, 26(7), 757-757.