Qualifications

First Class Honours in BSc Psychology - University of Liverpool 2010

Previous positions

Admissions Secretary, SHCA, Newcastle University

Assistant Psychologist, Walkergate Park Centre for Neurorehabilitation and Neuropsychiatry, NTW NHS Trust

Mental Health Support Worker, NTW NHS Trust

Volunteer Assistant Psychologist/Support, Momentum North East

I am currently working on the R-LiNK study investigating personalised treatment response to lithium in bipolar I disorder. R-LiNK is an EU-funded multicentre longitudinal observational study, with Dr David Cousins, Newcastle University, as WP leader for the lithium imaging aspect. 

The MRC-BLISS study, which investigated the effects of lithium on the brain in bipolar disorder, with respect to treatment response, closed in October 2020. We are now in the process of analysing the data for publication.

For more information about the study and the work of Team Lithium, visit: 

www.mood-disorders.co.uk/research/current-studies

www.teamlithium.co.uk.

• Necus J, Sinha N, Smith FE, Thelwall PE, Flowers CJ, Taylor PN, Blamire AM, Cousins DA, Wang Y. White matter microstructural properties in bipolar disorder in relationship to the spatial distribution of lithium in the brain. Journal of Affective Disorders 2019, 253, 224-231.
• Smith FE, Thelwall PE, Necus J, Flowers CJ, Blamire AM, Cousins DA. 3D ⁷Li magnetic resonance imaging of brain lithium distribution in bipolar disorder. Molecular Psychiatry 2018, 23(11), 2184-2191.
• Cousins D, Smith F, Necus J, Thelwall P, Flowers C, Taylor P, Sinha N, Wang YJ, Blamire A. Imaging the distribution and effects of lithium in the brain in bipolar disorder. In: 73rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Biological Chemistry. 2018, New York: Elsevier.
• Necus J, Smith FE, Thelwall PE, Flowers CJ, Sinha N, Taylor PN, Blamire AM, Wang Y, Cousins DA. Quantification of brain proton longitudinal relaxation (T₁) in lithium‐treated and lithium‐naïve patients with bipolar disorder in comparison to healthy controls. Bipolar Disorders 2019, 23(1), 41-48.