NCMD Research Seminar Series 7th November 2025

Presenters: Dr David Anderson, Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Adi Sharma, Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Senior Lecturer in CAMHS & Ananya Ananthakrishnan, RA, Newcastle University

Presentation: The CALM App – Digital Mood Charting in Bipolar: Co-design, co-production and beyond’.

Dr David Anderson, Consultant Psychiatrist (CNTW)
David is a Consultant Psychiatrist with an interest in how affective disorders present in those with Neurodevelopmental Disorders including Intellectual Disability, Autism and ADHD. He works clinically in the Newcastle Community Learning Disability Team and in the CNTW Regional Affective Disorders Service, a tertiary referral service for patients with difficult to treat affective presentations. He has a background in software engineering and is actively involved in research into the use of digital technologies and data in clinical settings.

Ananya Ananthakrishnan, Research Assistant (Newcastle University)
Ananya has a multidisciplinary background in psychology, engineering, and digital health. She completed a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering at Pune University, India and simultaneously undertook a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Psychology) at the Indira Gandhi National Open University. Subsequently, she achieved a Master’s degree in Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, earning a distinction. During her MSc, Ananya worked as a part-time Research Assistant in Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire and later gained experience working with people struggling with their mental health as a Support Worker at Ivolve Care. Ananya began working as a Research Assistant at the Newcastle University Translational and Clinical Research Institute in November 2023 and is currently working on projects involving digital solutions for mental health and neurodegenerative conditions.

Whilst recognised as a valuable diagnostic tool and as part of self-management in Bipolar Disorder, Mood Charting is fraught with challenges of the analogue age. We chart the co-design of the CALM App prototypes, and the challenges of understanding the evidence base for available Mood Charting Apps.