Professor honoured with lifetime achievement award for pioneering work in psychiatric genetics

Professor Anita Thapar, a leading child and adolescent psychiatrist at Cardiff University, has received the prestigious Ming Tsuang Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG).

The award recognises her exceptional contributions to the field of psychiatric genetics and her dedication to improving mental health understanding and care for young people.

Professor Thapar’s career in psychiatry and genetics began with her PhD fellowship, where she conducted pioneering research on mental health conditions in children and adolescents, including depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She established a unique twin register and used it to carry out important early studies showing the high heritability of ADHD, sparking her ongoing interest in genetic factors in youth mental health.

Professor Thapar, who is based in the division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences at Cardiff University, has led major studies that have advanced understanding of the genetic links between ADHD, depression, and other mental health conditions. She contributed to one of the earliest genome-wide studies on ADHD and found overlapping genetic traits between ADHD and autism. Her work broke new ground, especially at a time when genetic explanations for ADHD were seen as controversial by many in the field.

Beyond her research, Professor Thapar has had a strong influence on clinical practice and policy. Her findings on the genetic and clinical connections among ADHD, autism, and other developmental conditions inspired her to advocate for integrated neurodevelopmental services in Wales.

Professor Thapar leads the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry team in the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics. She is also a key figure at the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health, which received a £10 million grant from the Wolfson Foundation to advance research on youth depression and the long term development of mental health conditions in young people.

The Ming Tsuang Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates Professor Thapar’s pioneering work in psychiatric genetics and her commitment to research that improves understanding and care for young people with mental health conditions. Something about being proud as a centre to have her be part?

Professor Thapar’s recognition with the Ming Tsuang Lifetime Achievement Award is a proud moment for the Wolfson Centre.