Mood disorders: Emerging evidence and evolving care

Professor Allan Young is Chair of Academic Psychiatry and Head of the Division of Psychiatry in the Department of Brain Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London.

Professor Young’s research interests focus on the cause and treatments for severe psychiatric illnesses, particularly mood disorders. He has received research grants from many funding agencies and has over 800 peer-reviewed publications, including several books about psychopharmacology and affective disorders. His H-index is 149 with over 123000 citations of his papers (Google Scholar). Recent publications have been in the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, JAMA Psychiatry, World Psychiatry and Lancet Psychiatry. Professor Young is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher: this highly anticipated annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Their names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science™ citation index.

Dr Suhana Ahmed: Assessment and management of depression in older adults 

Dr Suhana Ahmed is a Consultant Psychiatrist – dual-trained (Old Age and General Adult). She is currently Deputy Chief Medical Officer at West London NHS Trust. Prior to this, she was Clinical Director for Older Persons Mental Health Services. She is also North West London Higher Resident Doctor Leadership and Management Tutor.

She has been Director of Medical Education at South West London & St George’s (SWLSTG) Mental Health Trust having completed her training there. Dr Ahmed is heavily involved with the Royal College of Psychiatrists and is currently Chair of the London Division.  She is interested in training, flexible working and supporting leadership and career progression in working parents. She has contributed to a number of podcasts on these issues. In 2024, she received RCPsych London Division Award in recognition of leadership and inspiration. In 2023, she was shortlisted for RCPsych Psychiatrist of the Year. She was featured in BMJ Careers in 2025.   She has recently had a chapter published in the book ‘Personally Speaking’. She is a mummy to a thirteen-year-old boy and loves cats, reading and cake. 

Dr Baxi Sinha: Managing Difficult to Treat Depression: Treatment Sequencing, Augmentation, and Novel Pharmacotherapies

Dr Baxi Sinha has been a Consultant Psychiatrist with Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust since 2007. He works within the adult community mental health service and leads the Trust’s pioneering Ketamine Service for Treatment‑Resistant Depression—one of the few specialist NHS centres of its kind in the UK.

In his role as Deputy Medical Director for International Recruitment, he has helped strengthen Trust’s medical workforce and reduce reliance on agency locums. His leadership experience spans medical education—as ADME, Senior GP/FP Tutor, and CESR Tutor—as well as clinical management, as Clinical Director. Nationally, he supports several key organisations, including the RCPsych and the GMC.

Dr Sinha’s professional interests include research and academics; has served as PI for clinical studies, published peer‑reviewed articles, contributed book chapters in, and undertakes peer‑review for scientific journals. He also has a strong interest in medical information technology, particularly the emerging role of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare.

Dr Richard Barnes: Introduction to Neuromodulation

Dr Barnes is the Lead Consultant for Neuromodulation for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. Prior to this he was a consultant in Old Age Psychiatry for over 25 years.

He works for 2 days a week and on the other days puts his feet up – a work/life balance he recommends.