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Anita Thapar

Professor Anita Thapar

(she/her)

Professor, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences

School of Medicine

Email
Thapar@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29206 88325
Campuses
Hadyn Ellis Building, Room 3.07, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Comment
Media commentator
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I am a clinician scientist. My primary interests are in neurodevelopmental disorders/neurodivergence and youth depression. I was  Lead Editor (Joint) of the 6th Edition of Rutter’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry-the leading textbook for clinicians and scientists and am lead editor (Joint) for the forthcoming 7th edition.

I head the academic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section in the Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences and the developmental disorders group  within the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics and Division.  I also have  honorary NHS consultant contracts with Cwm Taf and Cardiff and Vale UHBs.

My wider roles include:

Teaching/training of medical and psychology/biomedical students and trainee NHS clinicians

NHS liaison

Translation of our research into mental health and neurodivergence policies: I am currently  co-chair on the Welsh Government Neurodivergence Ministerial Advisory Group and on the Welsh government clinical advisory group for ADHD assessment and support. Previously I was on the expert reference group of Together for Children and Young People (mental health and ND)

 

I am also on the board of the UK national charity ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity and a member of the UK  Embracing Complexity  Neurodivergence Steering Group. 

 

 

 

Publication

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Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Research

Overview of current research

My research focuses on  youth depression,  neurodevelopmental disorders/neurodivergence from 0 to 25 years.

My mission is to address questions that have clinical relevance.

Currently funded research projects 

  • Wolfson Centre for Youth Mental Health: £10 million- genetics WS stratifying youth depression . 
  • School impacts on mental health in neurodivergent young people
  • ADHD  in young women (NIHR advanced fellowship J Martin), ADHD and links with depression (MRC L Riglin)
  • C-Gull cohort, Liveropool (coapplicant for substudy involving mental health) 

Overseas named /costed collaborations:

Norwegian Institute of Public Health: Havdahl and Reichborn-Knerrud

iPsych Denmark: Mussliner

Sweden Karolinska Institutet:  Larsson

NIMH: Pine, Leibenluft

 

Key review and personal view papers

  • Thapar A, Eyre O, Patel V, Brent D (2022) Depression in young people, Lancet; 20;400(10352):617-631. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01012-1. Epub 2022 Aug 5.PMID: 35940184 
    •  
  • Thapar A, Livingston LA, Eyre O, Riglin L. (2023) Practitioner Review: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder - the importance of depression. J Child Psychol Psychiatry;64(1):4-15. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13678. PMID: 35972029.
    •  
  • Sonuga-Barke E, Thapar A. The neurodiversity concept: is it helpful for clinicians and scientists? Lancet Psychiatry. 2021 8(7):559-561. 

     

  •  Thapar A, Cooper M, Rutter M (2017) Neurodevelopmental disorders, Lancet Psychiatry 4(4):339-346.
  • Thapar A, Cooper M, (2016), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, The Lancet 387(10024): 1240-50.
  • Anita Thapar and Daniel S. Pine, James F. Leckman, Stephen Scott, Margaret J. Snowling, Eric Taylor (2015) Rutter’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 6th edn,. John Wiley & Sons Limited, UK. ISBN: 978-1-118-38196-0

 

Selected original papers

1.      Riglin L, Wootton RE, Thapar AK, Livingstone LA, Langley K, Collishaw S, Tagg J, Smith GD, Stergiakouli E, Tilling K, Thapar A, (2021) Variable Emergence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms From Childhood to Early Adulthood, The American Journal of Psychiatry 178(8):752-760

 

2.      Rice, F., Riglin, L., Thapar, A.K., Heron, J., Anney, R., O’Donovan, M.C., Thapar, A. (2019) Characterizing Developmental Trajectories and the Role of Neuropsychiatric Genetic Risk Variants in Early-Onset Depression. JAMA Psychiatry 76(3): 306-313

 

3.      Riglin, L., Collishaw, S., Thapar, AK., Dalsgaard, S., Langley, K., Davey Smith, G., Stergiakouli , E., Maughan, B., O’Donovan, M. & Thapar, A. (2016) Association of genetic risk variants with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder trajectories in the general population. JAMA Psychiatry. 73(12):1285-1292

 

4.      Riglin L, Eyre O, Thapar AK, Stringaris A, Leibenluft E, Pine D, Tilling K, Davey Smith G, O’Donovan MC, Thapar A, (2019) Identifying novel types of irritability using a developmental genetic approach.  American Journal of Psychiatry, Jul 1; 176(8): 635–642

 

5.       Rice F, Sellers R, Hammerton G, Eyre O, Bevan Jones R, Thapar AK, Collishaw S, Harold G, Thapar A, (2017) Antecedents of new-onset major depressive disorder in children and adolescents at high familial risk. JAMA Psychiatry 1;74(2):153-160

 

6.       Collishaw S, Hammerton G, Mahedy L, Sellers R, Owen MJ, Craddock N, Thapar AK, Harold GT, Rice F, Thapar A (2016) Mental health resilience in the adolescent offspring of parents with depression: a prospective longitudinal study; Lancet Psychiatry, 3(1):49-57

 

7.      Martin, J., Hamshere, M. L., Stergiakouli, E., O'Donovan, M. C., & Thapar A. (2014) Genetic risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder contributes to neurodevelopmental traits in the general population. Biol Psychiatry). 76(8):664-71.

 

8.      Williams NM, Zaharieva I, Martin A, Langley K, Mantripragada K, Fossdal R, Steffansson H, Stefansson K, Magnssuon P, Gudmundsson OO, Gustafsson O, Holmans P, Owen MJ, O’Donovan MC, Thapar A. (2010). Rare chromosomal deletions and duplications in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a genome-wide analysis. Lancet. 376(9750): 1401-1408.

 

9.      Rice F, Harold GT, Boivin J, Hay D, Van den Bree MB, Thapar A. (2009) Disentangling prenatal and inherited influences in humans with an experimental design. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 106 (7): 2464-2467.

 

10.    Thapar A, Rice F, Hay D, Boivin J, Langley K, Van den Bree MB, Rutter M, Harold G.(2009) Prenatal smoking might not cause ADHD: evidence from a novel design. Biological Psychiatry. 66(8): 722-727.

 

 

Teaching

Undergraduate teaching

  • Academic mentor for undergraduates
  • Lecture and examining:  intercalated BSc Psychology

Biography

Education and Qualifications

  • 1995: PhD  University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff
  • 1989: MRCPsych,  Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK
  • 1985: MBBCh (Medicine),  Welsh National School of Medicine, Cardiff

Career overview

Current posts:

  • 1999 - present: Cardiff University School of Medicine. Clinical Professor
  • Visiting Professor, School of Psychology, University of Sussex
  • Honorary Professor, MRC Integrated Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol

Honours and awards

  • UK Professor of Psychiatry Club:  Academic Women in Psychiatry Award (joint) for enhancing the careers of academic women in psychiatry 2017

  • Learned Society of Wales: Frances Hoggan Medal for outstanding research by women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine or Mathematics. 2017

  • Queen’s Honours: CBE for services to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2017

  • Presidents Medal 2015, Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK  for contribution to policy, public knowledge, education and meeting population and patient care needs

  • Ruane Prize 2015, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, USA for outstanding Child & Adolescent Psychiatric research

  • Elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) 2011, UK
  • Elected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales 2011, Wales
  • Elected Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995, UK
  • Laughlin Prize 1989 Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK for  highest marks and best recommendation in MRCPsych examinations
  • Maldwyn Catell Memorial Prize (Welsh Medical Council) awarded 1985 (medical school), Welsh National School of Medicine
  • Geraint Walters Prize in Haematology awarded 1985 (medical school), Welsh National School of Medicine

Professional memberships

  • Academy of Medical Sciences
  • Royal College of Psychiatrists
  • Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • UK Child and Adolescent Research Society

Academic positions

  • 1996-1999: Senior Lecturer, Manchester University
  • 1991-1995: MRC Clinical Research Fellow, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff
  • 1990-1995 (career break for children) Clinical training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 
  • 1986-1989 Clinical Training in Psychiatry
  • 1985 Junior doctor posts in Medicine, Surgery

Committees and reviewing

Selected panels, advisory and editorial boards

Current

  • Together for Children and Young People Expert Reference Group - A Welsh Assembly Government and CAMHS multi- agency Programme Board to drive forward the development and implementation of service improvement plans.
  • Member of the American Psychiatric Association Review Committee on Neurodevelopmental Disorders [Intellectual Disability, Learning Disorders, Communication Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Motor Disorders, ADHD].
  • Associate Editor and member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Psychiatry
  • The Lancet Psychiatry Advisory Board

Previous selected

  • Member of consultation panel for the National Institute for Health’s Research Development of a Ten Year Strategy for Mental Health - Children and Young People.

  • Learned Society of Wales’ A1 Scrutiny Committee Panel

  • Corresponding Member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

  • Wellcome Trust Public Health and Tropical Medicine Interview Committee Member
  • Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences Sectional Committee
  • Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences Academic Careers Committee
  • Wellcome Trust Cognitive and Higher Systems Funding Committee
  • Secretary and treasurer of the UK Child Psychiatry Research Society

Supervisions

Child and adolescent/youth mental health from 0 to 25 years

Epidemiology/genetics

Engagement

 

 

Panel memberships and boards 

 

2023-                   Embracing Complexity Steering Group https://embracingcomplexity.org.uk/

 

2023-                   National Neurodiversity Transformation Professional Working Group:   Welsh Government

 

2022-                   Co-Chair Welsh Government Neurodevelopmental Ministerial Advisory Group

 

2020 – 2025        Board member for UK Patient Charity: ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity

                           

2021 – 2026        Member of European ADHD Guidelines Group (EAGG)

 

2020 – 2023        The Lancet Psychiatry Advisory Board

 

2017 - current      Associate Editor American Journal of Psychiatry

 

 

2020 - current     US  Ruane Prize Selection Committee, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

 

2016 - current     American Psychiatric Association Review Committee on DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Disorders [Intellectual Disability, Learning Disorders, Communication Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Motor Disorders, ADHD.

 

2023 - 2025         Member of European Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry International Scientific Advisory Board

 

2023 - 2028         Member of KiDS Project (Positive Child Development) research expert panel of advisors (Queen Mary University of London, Cambridge University             and Kings College London)

 

2023                    Member of UK National Institute for Health and Care Research MH-TRC CYP    workstream

 

2022                    Chair of DISCA Programme Steering Committee (Digital Sleep Support for       Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; University of Southampton)

 

2022 – 2027        Member of NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre Scientific                                          Advisory Board

Public engagement

We have a track record of working with the media on child and adolescent mental health, especially around ADHD.

I have worked with the Cardiff University Public engagement team (e.g. Cardiff Challenge), the UK Science Media Centre, contributed to and participated in television (a BBC Wales documentary, Breakfast TV and news items), radio (Radio 4 Today programme, national and local radio stations) on ADHD and adolescent depression.

National and international web podcasts and films on ADHD include:

Challenge Cardiff interview

ADHD Facts and Fiction (public lecture)

Last Chance Saloon (short film/documentary)

Ruane Prize winner (short film)