Scientific Advisory Board showcases research centre’s global reach

The Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health held the first annual meeting of their International Scientific Advisory Board this month.

The virtual meeting brought together academic experts from around the world who sit on the Scientific Advisory Board to discuss the Centre’s six research workstreams.

The meeting, chaired by Professor Sir Michael Owen, was well attended with staff from across the Wolfson Centre and representatives from the Wolfson Foundation who observed the session. The wide-ranging conversation offered not only advice and guidance from the board of international academics, but the board also provided feedback on the work done so far by the Wolfson Centre and targets to work on over the coming years.

Wolfson Centre Co-Director, Professor Stephan Collishaw, said: “We were delighted to be joined by our Scientific Advisory Board for the board’s first annual meeting. Our international colleagues provided invaluable guidance and advice on the long-term future direction, strategy and activity of the Centre as well as inspiration in identifying future opportunities for scientific collaboration.”

Professor Frances Rice, Wolfson Centre Co-Director added: “We are so grateful to the world-leading experts giving us the benefit of their opinion and advice and joining us online, despite all of us working in three time zones with board members logging in from India, the United States and across the UK.

"The board showcases the strong international links we have here at the Centre and the global reach our research can have in the field of youth mental health.”

Dr Ellen Leibenluft, who sits on the Scientific Advisory Board and is based at the National Institute for Mental Health in the United States, said: “It was a real pleasure to join the Wolfson Centre team and sit on their advisory board. The thoughts of the board were unanimously positive and we were enthused about what the future holds for this Centre."

Professor Stephan Collishaw concluded: “We would like to thank, once again, all our international colleagues for their help and advice so far. The Scientific Advisory Board meeting has served the whole team with further motivation and focus on our research plans at the Wolfson Centre.

“We look forward to welcoming the board again next year, whether online, in-person, or perhaps a combination of both, and continuing to forge our strong international partnerships between the Wolfson Centre and colleagues around the globe.”

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