Professor Ulrike Schmidt elected as Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Professor Ulrike Schmidt joins outstanding biomedical and health scientists as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. The new Fellows were selected for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of medical science and translation of scientific knowledge into benefits for patients and society. Ulrike leads the Eating Disorders and Obesity Theme in the NIHR Maudsley BRC.

Ulrike Schmidt is Professor of Eating Disorders and Director of the Centre for Research on Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW) at King’s College London. She is also a Consultant Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

She works to understand fundamental biology and psychological determinants of eating and weight disorders, including obesity. Her research includes multiple trials of new treatments and led to the development of MANTRA, a NICE-recommended psychotherapy for people with anorexia nervosa. She has also led the development and research on FREED, a multi award-winning early intervention programme for young people with eating disorders, rolled out nationally in England. Ulrike has also pioneered the use of novel brain-directed treatments in eating disorders. She leads the large UKRI-funded EDIFY consortium on early intervention for eating disorders. She is Co-Director of the Health Education England National Eating Disorders Whole Team Training and MANTRA Training Courses. Ulrike has led/contributed to multiple national and international initiatives to improve eating disorders policy and practice. She is the recipient of multiple awards, including an NIHR Senior Investigator Award, and the Academy for Eating Disorders Leadership Award for Research (2021). 

Professor UIrike Schmidt, Professor of Eating Disorders and Director of the Centre for Research on Eating and Weight Disorders at King’s College London, said: 

"I am absolutely delighted to have been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, it is an honour. I work in eating and weight disorders which affect people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and genders. These disorders typically start in adolescence and have the potential for seriously derailing young people’s lives. Since the pandemic, we have seen a substantial increase in eating disorders, as part of a wider ‘shadow’ pandemic of youth mental health problems.

The Academy has shown its commitment to working with young people with lived experience of mental health issues, and its power in bringing together researchers to discuss mental health throughout the pandemic. I look forward to connecting with, and contributing to, the Academy’s distinguished community of scientists to achieve a real step change in research and action on youth mental health."

Professor Dame Anne Johnson PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:

“These new Fellows are pioneering biomedical research and driving life-saving improvements in healthcare, from understanding the spread of infectious diseases to developing mental health interventions. It’s a pleasure to recognise and celebrate their exceptional talent by welcoming them to the Fellowship.

This year, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary. The Fellowship is our greatest asset, and their broad expertise and dynamic ability has shaped the Academy to become the influential, expert voice of health. As we look to the future, the collective wisdom our new Fellows bring will be pivotal in achieving our mission to create an open and progressive research sector to improve the health of people everywhere.”

The Academy of Medical Sciences are the independent body in the UK representing the diversity of medical science, with a mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at an event on Wednesday 12 July 2023 when the Academy will also be celebrating their 25th Anniversary.