Professor Ania Korszun, PhD, MD, FRCPsych

Profile

I have completed studies on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in facial pain, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and was Co-PI on large multi-centre genetic studies of depression.

Further work has focused on identifying the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that link depression, stress and atherosclerosis.

More recently, I have been working in collaboration with colleagues from surgery and oncology on predictors of psychological wellbeing in cancer patients and, in particular, psychosocial factors associated with impact of cancer and quality of life in long-term cancer survivors.

The results of this work have provided a basis for developing interventions for improving the quality of life for cancer patients and I am a co-investigator on the NIHR SURECAN (Survivors Rehabilitation Evaluation after Cancer) project.

I work with maxillofacial and trauma surgery patients, investigating psychosocial factors in trauma outcome and developing interventions for young victims of violence to improve outcome and reduce subsequent involvement in violence, and developing digital technology to maintain support for young victims after leaving hospital.

I maintain a strong commitment to medical education.  I am the Academic Lead for Psychiatry Education, Systems Lead for Brain and Behaviour and Senior Academic Tutor in Medical Professionalism at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Chair of the Academic Faculty Forum for Undergraduate Education Leads. As well as working on developing e-learning resources to improve mental health education, I am conducting research on undergraduate teaching and assessment of medical professionalism.

I led a large multidisciplinary project focusing on overcoming stigmatizing attitudes to mental health. Currently, in collaboration with colleagues from other institutions, I am conducting a study on wellbeing and mental health in medical students to improve future support for medical students and doctors.

Publications

Below is a selection of recent publications. Please see the Wolfson Institute Publications page for a more comprehensive record.

• Foote IF, Jacobs BM, Noyce AJ, Korszun A, Bhui KS, Marshall CR. Exploring the shared genetic architecture of modifiable risk factors and related endophenotypes of Alzheimer’s disease: A genomic SEM study. Alzheimer's & Dementia vol.16, (S2).
• Korszun A, Moschopoulou E, Deane J, Duncan M, Ismail S, Moriarty S, Sarker S-J, White P. Measuring quality of life in people living with and beyond cancer in the UK. Psycho-Oncology vol.29,13.
• Pandian H, Mohamedali Z, Chapman GE, Vinchenzo P, Ahmed S, Mulliez Z, Bruce H, Burn W, Korszun A, Tracy DK. Psych Socs: student-led psychiatry societies, an untapped resource for recruitment and reducing stigma. BJPsych Bulletin
• Dimitrov L, Moschopoulou E, Korszun A. Interventions for the treatment of cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms: A systematic review of the literature. Psycho-Oncology vol.28, (5) 970.
• Marshall C, Korszun A. Student Mental Health: A Guide for Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Leaders Serving in Higher Education. BJPsych Bulletin vol.43, (4) 192.
• Moschopoulou E, Hutchison I, Bhui K, Korszun A. Response to the letter to the editor: Post-traumatic stress in head and neck cancer survivors and their partners. Supportive Care in Cancer vol.27, (3) 719.
• Skinner HK, Rahtz E, Korszun A. Interviews following physical trauma: A thematic analysis. International Emergency Nursing vol.42,19.
• Smeeth DM, Dima D, Jones L, Jones I, Craddock N, Owen MJ, Rietschel M, Maier W, Korszun A, Rice JP, Mors O, Preisig M, Uher R, Lewis CM, Thuret S, Powell TR. Polygenic risk for circulating reproductive hormone levels and their influence on hippocampal volume and depression susceptibility. Psychoneuroendocrinology vol.106, 284.
• Cohen-Woods S, Fisher HL, Ahmetspahic D, Douroudis K, Stacey D, Hosang GM, Korszun A, Owen M, Craddock N, Arolt V, Dannowski U, Breen G, Craig IW, Farmer A, Baune BT, Lewis CM, Uher R, McGuffin P. Interaction between childhood maltreatment on immunogenetic risk in depression: Discovery and replication in clinical case-control samples. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 67,203.
• Duncan M, Korszun A, White P, Eva G. Qualitative analysis of feasibility of recruitment and retention in a planned randomised controlled trial of a psychosocial cancer intervention within the NHS. Trials
• Moschopoulou E, Hutchison I, Bhui K, Korszun A. The impact of cancer and quality of life in head and neck cancer long-term survivors in the UK. Psycho-Oncology 27,3.

Expertise