Staff Profile
Emeritus Professor Brian Lunn
Emeritus Professor
- Address: School of Medical Education
The Medical School
Newcastle University
NE2 4HH
Background
I retired from my clinical post in May 2017 but continued in my academic role as Sub Dean for Assessment until May 2021 when I fully retired and moved into my current emeritus role.
Current roles
Speciality Member National Anti-Doping panel
GMC MLA Applied Knowledge Test Advisor
Emeritus professor of Medical Education
Previous Positions
Chair:
Professional Standards Review CommitteeExaminations Sub CommitteeAssessment Working Group Course Director Stage 3 and 5 Mental Health RotationsMember:
Board of Medical Studies
Sub Deans Group
Senior Officers Group
Phase 1 Coordinating Committee
Phase 2 Coordinating Committee
Medical Schools Council Assessment Alliance
GMC Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment Sub Group
External:
Examiner RCPsychChair RCPsych OSCE PanelChair RCPsych CASC PanelAssociate Dean for Examinations RCPsychMember Academy of Medical Royal Colleges Assessment GroupClinical Director for Medical Education (Undergraduate) Northumberland Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation TrustSubject Advisor Higher Education AcademyExternal examiner:
Hong Kong University MB BSSri Lankan MD PsychiatryHong Kong FPsychBirmingham University BMedSc in PsychiatryLeeds University MBBS Cardiff University MSc in PsychiatryDundee University MB BS
Research
Research Interests
Early work focussed on the Neurobiology of Cognition with research involving the use of neuro-endocrine probes to examine their effects on subjects cognition.
In parallel with this another focus was the Neuropsychiatric Consequences of Diving. Research into the neuropsychiatric consequencies had been rudimentary with a few notable exceptions. This, at least in part, can be attributed to an unwillingness to fund and/or support appropriate research by governmental agencies and the diving industry. Another reason is the dearth of researchers with an appropriate background in the neurosciences working in the field. Work focussed on identifying common patterns of cognitive impairment following hyperbaric injuries.
Another thread of this was work with the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HEA) and Department of Energy to generate guidance for assessing the fitness of individuals with psychiatric illness to dive or return to diving. This resulted in the iterative development of the UK’s MA1 Guidance.
Assessment pedagogy
This has been the focus of work over the last few years and continues to be a source of work. In particular this has included the use and utility of assessment in clinical and pre-clinical medicine. This includes undergraduate and postgraduate courses and assessments. To date work has covered:
- developing novel clinical assessments
- exploring the utility and validity of clinical assessments
- developing feedback models that automatically generate output for candidates from assessment data
- developing processes to quantify and make informed decisions from free text using Natural Language Processing (NLP) in R
- developing approaches in NLP that reflect the semantic difference in medical texts, including feedback to medical students
Teaching
From starting as Lecturer in Neuropsychiatry in 1993 teaching was a central part of my role. Initially, in an sabbatical from clinical work at the end of this post I set up the Psychiatry Teaching Resource website , primarily aimed at Medical Students’ needs but is became widely used by others groups within the university and externally, including police,psychologist, nurses and dentists as well as patient groups and the general public.`
From shifting to a Senior Lecturer/Consultant Psychiatrist role in 1998 my role in postgraduate teaching developed. These included:
- College Tutor 1998-2002, South Tyneside
- Educational Supervisor in Northern Deanery, School of Psychiatry
- Clinical Director for Medical Education (Undergraduate) NTW NHS Foundation Trust until May 2017
Within the university focus shifted to development of teaching resources for psychiatry within the School of Medical Education and Open Educational Resources through membership of several HEA groups and as a contributor to and member of JISC Reusable Learning Objects Project
For the Royal College of Psychiatry (RCPsych) I was involved in the development of the Part I OSCE which I then ran for its duration. I then chaired the group designing and implementing the new MRCPsych Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies (CASC) before, after its implementation, passing on its running as I took up the role of Associate Dean for Examinations. My term in office there ended in June 2012 and I moved to Sub Dean of Assessment in Newcastle University Medical School.
I continue to provide support for UK Sport, Sport England and Greater Manchester Police in developing skills in coaches and hostage/crisis negotiators respectively.
Publications
- Lunn B. Assessment of Undergraduates in Psychiatry. In: Hughes, P; Langan-Martin, J, ed. Teaching Psychiatry to Undergraduates. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022, pp.42-51. In Press.
- Lunn B. The use of Natural Language Processing to aid understanding of free text feedback. In: Annual European Conference on Assessment in Medical Education. 2019, Łodz, poland: European Board of Medical Assessors.
- Currie A, Lunn B. Cycling. In: Glick,ID,Todd,S;Kamis,D, ed. The ISSP Manual of Sports Psychiatry. London: Routledge, 2018.
- Lunn B. High-fidelity Acute Care Simulation using a mix of low – and high-tech. In: Annual European Conference on Assessment in Medical Education. 2018, Braga, Portugal: European Board of Medical Assessors.
- Lunn B. Mental Health Legislation. In: Dogra N; Lunn B; Cooper S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2017.
- Lunn B, Day R. Psychiatric Emergencies. In: Dogra N; Lunn B; Cooper S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2017.
- Lunn B, Dogra N. Assessment and engagement with patients. In: Dogra N; Lunn B; Cooper S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2017.
- Lunn B. Schizophrenia. In: Dogra N; Lunn B; Cooper S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2017.
- Lunn B. The impact on practice of a change to prescribing assessment. In: Annual European Conference on Assessment in Medical Education. 2017, Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands: European Board of Medical Assessors.
- Woodhouse L, Kennedy D, Moss J, Lunn B. Candidate use of a feedback site and how that relates to examination performance. In: European Board of Medical Assessors Annual Academic Conference: Crossing Boundaries: Assessment in Medical Education. 2016, Exeter, UK: University of Exeter Medical School.
- McAllister-Williams RH, Cousins D, Lunn B. Clinical assessment and investigation in psychiatry. Medicine (United Kingdom) 2016, 44(11), 630-637.
- Woodhouse L, Lunn B, Kennedy DJ. Comparison of Cohen and Angoff methods of standard setting: is Angoff worth it?. In: European Board of Medical Assessors Annual Academic Conference: Crossing Boundaries: Assessment in Medical Education. 2016, Exeter, UK: University of Exeter Medical School.
- Lunn B, Kennedy D, Jones S, Moss J, Luke J, McKeegan K. Developing an Enhanced Personalised Web-based OSCE Feedback System to Help Students Understand OSCE Performance. In: Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions 2016. 2016, Perth, Australia.
- Kennedy D, Lunn B. Lessons from assessing Professionalism through monitoring Professional attitudes and behaviours. In: European Board of Medical Assessors Annual Academic Conference: Crossing Boundaries: Assessment in Medical Education. 2016, Exeter, UK: University of Exeter Medical School.
- Lunn B. Predictive abilities of standard setters using the Angoff method. In: European Board of Medical Assessors Annual Academic Conference: Crossing Boundaries: Assessment in Medical Education. 2016, Exeter: University of Exeter Medical School.
- Lunn B. Education in Psychiatry. In: Wright JD, ed. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd, 2015, pp.185-193.
- Jones S, Bussey S, Barton R, Lunn B, Luke J, Myers A. Acceptability of a new summative assessment of clinical skills for final year medical students. In: Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) Annual Scientific Meeting 2014. 2014, Brighton, UK.
- Jones S, Bussey S, Barton R, Lunn B, Luke J, Myers A. Educational impact of a new summative assessment of clinical skills for final year medical students. In: Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) Annual Scientific Meeting 2014. 2014, Brighton, UK.
- Bussey S, Jones S, Barton R, Lunn B, Luke J, Myers A. The Utility of a new clinical assessment of final year medical students – the patient perspective. In: Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) 2014. 2014, Milan, Italy.
- Lunn B. Assessment of undergraduates in psychiatry. In: Brown,T;Eagles,J, ed. Teaching Psychiatry to Undergraduates. RCPsych Publications, 2011.
- Lunn B. Mental Health Legislation. In: Dogra,N;Lunn,B;Cooper,S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. CRC Press, 2011.
- Lunn B, Day R. Psychiatric Emergencies. In: Dogra,N;Lunn,B;Cooper,S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. CRC Press, 2011.
- Lunn B, Dogra N. Psychiatric History Taking. In: Dogra,N;Lunn,B;Cooper,S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. CRC Press, 2011.
- Lunn B. Recruitment into psychiatry: an international challenge. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2011, 45, 805-807.
- Lunn B. Schizophrenia. In: Dogra,N;Lunn,B;Cooper,S, ed. Psychiatry by Ten Teachers. CRC Press, 2011.
- Cooper S, Dogra N, Lunn B, Wright B. Undergraduate psychiatry teaching – the core curriculum. In: Brown,T;Eagles,J, ed. Teaching Psychiatry to Undergraduates. RCPsych Publications, 2011. In Preparation.
- Lunn B, Corral MR, Mihai A. Assessment in Psychiatric Education. In: Gask,L;Coskun,B, ed. Teaching Psychiatry. John Wiley and Sons, 2010.
- Wisineiwska-Young E, Ferrier N, Lunn B, Brittlebank A. Mood disorders/affective psychoses. In: Puri,B;Treasden,I, ed. Psychiatry: An Evidence Based Text. Hodder Arnold, 2010.
- McAllister-Williams RH, Cousins D, Lunn B. Clinical assessment and investigation in psychiatry. Medicine 2008, 36(8), 393-398.
- Richardson J, Cousins D, Lunn B. Could the development of an interactive website facilitate communication between psychiatric trainees?. Psychiatric Bulletin 2006, 30(2), 75.
- Lunn B. The OSCE blueprint and station development. In: Rao,R, ed. OSCEs in Psychiatry. Gaskell, 2005.
- Porter RJ, Lunn BS, O'Brien JT. Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease and in the healthy elderly. Psychological Medicine 2003, 33(1), 41-49.
- Porter RJ, Gallagher P, Watson S, Lunn BS, Young AH. The effects of sub-chronic administration of hydrocortisone on hormonal and psychological responses to L-tryptophan in normal male volunteers. Psychopharmacology 2002, 163(1), 68-75.
- Porter RJ, Lunn BS, Walker LLM, Gray JM, Ballard CG, O'Brien JT. Cognitive deficit induced by acute tryptophan depletion in patients with Alzheimer's disease. American Journal of Psychiatry 2000, 157(4), 638-640.
- Ashton CH, Lunn B, Marsh VR, Young AH. Subchronic hydrocortisone treatment alters auditory evoked potentials in normal subjects. Psychopharmacology 2000, 152(1), 87-92.
- Hughes J, Lunn B, O’Brien JT. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and patient groups with specific treatment problems. In: Stamford C, ed. The SSRI’s: A Multidisciplinary Appraisal. Elsevier, 1999.
- O'Brien J, Porter R, Lunn B, Walker L, Gray J, Ballard C. The role of serotonin and the effects of acute dietary depletion of tryptophan on cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease. In: 40th Annual Meeting of the Scandinavian Society for Psychopharmacology. 1999, Copenhagen, Denmark: Informa Healthcare.
- Porter RJ, McAllister-Williams RH, Lunn BS, Young AH. 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor function in humans is reduced by acute administration of hydrocortisone. Psychopharmacology 1998, 139(3), 243-250.
- Porter RJ, McAllister-Williams RH, Lunn BS, Young AH. 5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor function in man is impaired by cortisol. Psychopharmacology 1998, 139(3), 243-250.
- Porter RJ, Lunn B, Walker LLM, Leitch MM, Alderson E, Ballard C, O'Brien JT. Tryptophan depletion causes significant cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Psychopharmacology 1998, S3, 39.
- Lunn B, O'Brien JT. "Annals of Psychiatry, Basic and Clinical Neurosciences (Volume 4); Alzheimer’s Disease." By R. Cacabelos and B. Winblad (Eds.). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 1996, 11, 565-566.
- Egan EA, Lunn B, Campbell M, O'Brien JT. Delusional jealousy in old age: case presentation in with previously undiagnosed carcinoma of the bronchus. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 1996, 11, 565-566.
- Lunn B, McAllister-Williams RH, Pearce G, Alderson E, McIntire M, Milne J, Young AH. The effects of hydrocortisone administration on the neuroendocrine response to l-tryptophan. In: British Association for Psychopharmacology Abstract, annual meeting. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 1996, British Association for Psychopharmacology.
- Lunn B. Cognitive function testing following a dive injury. In: Elliott,DH, ed. Medical Assessment of Fitness to Dive: Proceedings of an International Conference at the Edinburgh Conference Centre, 8th-11th March 1994. London: Biomedical Seminars, 1995, pp.215-223.