Bipolar for Adult Psychiatrists

We are delighted to be joined by the following speakers:

Professor Arianna di Florio

Arianna is Professor of Psychiatry at Cardiff University and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Professor Di Florio also holds an honorary academic position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the United States.

She has trained in reproductive mental health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, in 2016, returned to Cardiff University to develop and deliver the first reproductive mental health clinical and research programme in the UK.

Professor Di Florio has contributed to the promotion of women’s mental health worldwide, providing expertise to governments, public bodies and third-sector organizations. Her research has provided evidence for a NICE guideline for treating women with bipolar disorder and for the recognition of postpartum psychosis. More recently, Professor Di Florio's research has linked perimenopause to new onset bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

Dr Katie Marwick

Dr Katie Marwick is an academic psychiatrist specialising in reproductive psychiatry across the lifecourse. She is currently a Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist with NHS Lothian. Clinically, she works in a multidisciplinary premenstrual syndrome clinic and inpatient perinatal psychiatry. Her research addresses the links between the menopause and severe mental illness.

Catherine Gamble FRCN

Catherine Gamble is a Royal College of Nursing Fellow (FRCN), Burdett Nursing Trust Hero, Eileen Skellern laureate, RCN Mental Health Nurse of the Year award holder and Royal College of Psychiatrists Team winner. Her clinical expertise lies in working with families and those with psychosis which has provided opportunity to teach nationally and internationally; she has held various senior NHS roles in psychiatric services, been the RCN professional lead for mental health and Associate Director of Nursing for Education and Research. Catherine is passionate about coproduction and Mental Health Nurses using psychosocial interventions, as outlined in the 3rd Edition of Gamble and Brennan Working with Serious Mental Illness: A Manual for Clinical Practice.

Sarah Owen – Bipolar UK

Sarah Owen is the Head of Policy and Communications at Bipolar UK, the only national charity supporting people affected by bipolar. She has several family members with bipolar, including her late grandfather and father, and her sister and oldest son. Sarah co-authored the book 'Bipolar Disorder - The Ultimate Guide' (Oneworld Publications) with her cousin, Amanda Saunders.

Sam Swidinski

Samuel Swidzinski has lived experience of bipolar disorder. He has used this to inspire him to pursue a PhD, write a lived experience book enjoyed by many clinicians including Prof Wendy Burn, and now leading a grant funded project for developing tech for cognitive assessments and cognitive remediation.

Professor Tania Gergel

Professor Tania Gergel is Director of Research at Bipolar UK, an Honorary Professor n the Division of Psychiatry at University College London and Honorary Visiting Professor in the Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences at Cardiff University. She joined Bipolar UK in 2023 in order to establish an in-house research division within the Charity and is now a lead on multiple research projects focusing on bipolar and other severe mental illness, as well as prominent advocate for lived experience involvement. A particular focus of her current work is suicide, mixed states, and diagnostic issues relating to bipolar.

Luyando Malawo – lived experience speaker

Professor Allan Young

Dr Clare Dolman

Professor Ian Jones

Emeritus Professor Guy Goodwin

Dr Sameer Jauhar

This event programme aims to equip psychiatrists with the latest clinical insights and tools to improve outcomes for patients living with bipolar. Delivered by leading experts, experienced clinicians, and people with lived experience, the online event offers a comprehensive and practical approach to understanding and managing bipolar in real-world settings.

Key topics in the event programme include:

• Diagnostic Challenges: Exploring the reasons behind delayed diagnosis - averaging 9.5 years - and addressing the fact that over half of people with bipolar remain undiagnosed. The event will highlight under-recognised symptoms, the role of comorbidities, and provide diagnostic tools and resources for clinicians and patients.
• Gender-Specific Risks: A focused examination of the heightened risks faced by women with bipolar during hormonal transitions such as PMS, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause, with guidance on collaborative risk mitigation strategies.
• Physical Health and Suicide Risk: Understanding the factors contributing to a 10-15-year reduction in life expectancy, including the high risk of suicide and the impact of bipolar on physical health.
• Psychosis and Relapse Prevention: Practical insights into managing psychosis in bipolar, and evidence-based strategies for preventing relapse.
  

This online event is a joint event with Bipolar UK.

The event will be recorded and available to attendees for 12 weeks after the event date.

This event will be taking place online via a platform called EventsAir. Registered participants will receive their link to join the conference in their joining instructions. Joining instructions will be sent out in the days before the conference is due to take place. 

Watch the helpful explainer video

When you join the conference online you will be able to:

• view a video of the speaker alongside any slides
• ask your questions to the speakers and chat with other delegates via the discussion forum.

All registered participants will also have access to this conference recording until Friday 13 February 2026 (12 weeks).

This event is primarily targeted toward psychiatrists, but it is also open to other non-psychiatric medical professionals and allied health professionals (AHP).

*The discounted allied healthcare professional rate is available for the following: allied healthcare professionals like nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, nutritionists etc. 

If you are unsure about which rate applies to you, please contact Miriam Muleba at miriam.muleba@rcpsych.ac.uk. 

To successfully join the event online you will need;

• Access to a reliable internet connection
• A PC, laptop, tablet or phone
• Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge are recommended browsers

Please read our terms and conditions before making your booking.