Fellow

Guy Goodwin is one of the leading biological psychiatrists in the UK and has provided significant leadership in this field, both as the Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh and the Handley Professor of Psychiatry in Oxford where he has been since 1996. His background in neurophysiology and pharmacology has positioned him well for the modern era of research in disorders of mental health. His research programme has been focused on pharmacological events relating to the processing of emotion and memory and, more recently, he has extended his interests into the area of neuroimaging to support these studies. He was one of the first to observe the presence of tissue loss in the hippocampus associated with memory impairment and this has more recently been extended by the demonstration that antidepressants may act through neurogenesis as their predominant mechanism of action. Professor Goodwin has been extensively involved in linking basic science to psychiatric disease. He has promoted the growth of a significant genetic programme in his department and has also been instrumental in linking novel imaging methodologies and receptor pharmacology with a better understanding of these diseases. He continues to publish extensively and has published a number of crucial papers on serotonin pharmacology and kinaesthesia. The Oxford department has thrived under his leadership and Professor Goodwin continues to make significant contributions to the overall academic environment in the UK through his contribution to a range of grants panels including the MRC Clinical Fellowship Panel, the NICE Working Group on Bipolar Disorders, and the MRC Advisory Board. His contribution to academic medicine and psychiatry has been substantial and he is clearly an individual who would contribute significantly to the Academy. He has my strongest support.