On July 25th, the UK observes National Schizophrenia Awareness Day, a vital initiative aimed at demystifying one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised mental health conditions. This day is dedicated to raising awareness, combating prejudice, and advocating for...
Pharmacogenomics
Pharmacogenetics Testing for Mental Health: Tailoring Treatment to Your DNA
Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, affect a significant portion of the population and can have a significant impact on quality of life. Unfortunately, finding the right treatment for these disorders can often be a long and difficult process, with...
BRCA: The Breast Cancer Gene
Genes: What Are They?Each person’s DNA contains the code responsible for building and maintaining the human body. A gene is a small section of DNA that codes for a particular trait. Those with naturally red hair, for example, have a gene that causes their hair to be...
Treatment Resistant Depression: What Is It?
According to the World Health Organisation, depression is the leading cause of disability in the world. According to estimates from the NHS, 264 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and 1 in 4 people in England will experience some form of mental health...
Pharmacogenomic Testing:
What is it and who should get it?
Recent decades have seen a rise in precision (or personalised) medicine due to rapid advances in genetics and a better understanding of the human brain and body. There is no guarantee that two people will respond to the same medication, even if they have similar...
Getting Pharmacogenomics into the Clinic
Getting Pharmacogenomicsinto the Clinic This Medical News Article Discusses Barriers to Widespread Implementation of Genotype-Guided Prescribing What if there were a way to know if a depressed patient would respond to an antidepressant—before it was prescribed? Or to...
Improving the Effectiveness of Bipolar Medication
To mark World Bipolar Day on 30 March, in this blog we are looking at the role of medication in managing bipolar disorder and asking what can be done to improve its effectiveness and reduce the risk of unwanted side-effects. What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder...