associated projects

Assessing the potential of transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) to treat depression

OTHERS IN RELATED SPECIALTIES

Dr Tessa Lomax, ACF in Psychiatry

Dr Maxime Taquet, ACF in Psychiatry

I studied neuroscience and medicine at UCL, where I developed a passion for the brain and mind. I then took a relatively circuitous route, taking time out after Foundation training to do a master’s by research in psychiatry and an MBA at the University of Oxford. I had the privilege to learn from great supervisors, including Professors Andrea Cipriani and Paul Harrison. I was inspired to continue my journey as an academic psychiatrist as I gained insight into how impactful and rewarding both clinical and academic psychiatry can be. So, I applied for an ACF position! 

WHAT DOES THE WORK INVOLVE?

In the first year of my ACF, I took one day a week of protected research time; in the second, I completed a 6-month, full-time research block. 

I have been involved in several different studies, including:

• meta-analyses of psychiatric interventions and public health measures,
• a pharmacoepidemiological study using electronic health records and large language models, and
• most recently, a study about transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) to modulate human amygdala activity. 

Having protected research time was critical not only to learn new skills, but also to work closely with my current PI, Professor Miriam Klein-Flugge, and her team. With her support, I was able to craft and submit an application for an MRC predoctoral clinical research training fellowship. During this time, we received ethical approval and were granted competitive internal funding to pump-prime our project on assessing the ability of repetitive TUS to induce longer-lasting plasticity in amygdalar networks. 

There are challenges that come with having less clinical time, but the excellent formal and informal support from supervisors and peers make it all very possible and rewarding. The people and culture in the Department of Psychiatry make it a fantastic place to work. The training in clinical psychiatry has equally been excellent throughout my placements at Oxford Health and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

Being an ACF has been immensely rewarding. I feel that doing research has made me a better clinician, and my experience as a clinician helps to formulate impactful research questions.

WHY OXFORD?

Oxford has a unique environment with world-leading clinicians and academics in virtually every field of study. I have been able to draw upon the experience of other academic leaders, including Professors Catherine Harmer and Michael Browning, to put together a competitive MRC application.

My aim is to continue developing as a clinical academic in psychiatry by undertaking a DPhil, completing specialty training and applying for advanced fellowships.

June 2025