Shôn Lewis is Professor of Adult Psychiatry, University of Manchester. As a young researcher, he was one of the originators of the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia which became the leading paradigm, and subsequently he has pioneered many important innovations in schizophrenia research. He is unique in combining a biological approach to the disorder with a profound understanding of the cognitive and social components of the illness. In recent years he has been the premier UK proponent of the careful evaluation of new treatments, both pharmacological and psychological. He has pioneered the importance of comprehensive care of first episode psychosis and recently he has shown that a psychological intervention given to prodromal cases can greatly reduce the rate of transition to full psychosis. His now leads one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of early onset psychosis, as with the aid of a large MRC e-Science Grant, Professor Lewis is using the UK Mental Health Research Network to identify new cases of psychosis throughout centres across England.