GM.Digital Director Kathryn Abel elected as Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

GM.Digital Director and Professor at the University of Manchester, Kathryn Abel, has been named a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, recognising her significant contributions to the field of mental health research.

Kathryn has dedicated her career to understanding the complexities of mental health disorders and their impact on individuals and communities. Her pioneering work has not only advanced academic knowledge but also informed clinical practices and health policies.

The Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of medical science. Professor Abel joins an esteemed group of scientists and researchers who are committed to improving health and healthcare through innovation and research.

Professor Abel joins the Fellowship following groundbreaking research on the effects of maternal condition and fetal environment on offspring outcomes, with a particular focus on children living with parental mental illness, who face multiple disadvantages. In this growing group of children at risk, her work highlights when, and in which children, interventions are most likely to improve outcomes. This allows policy makers and service planners to optimise the value of limited resources for a growing population in need.

She said: “Nearly half of UK children will experience a parent with significant mental illness by the age of 16 and, as a result, will have worse physical and mental health, lower educational attainment and reduced quality of life. We can now harness the UK’s fantastic data resources and, along with novel imaging and clinical prediction models, support families most in need in this growing at-risk group. I am truly delighted to be elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences – a uniquely effective platform through which I can continue to advocate for this vulnerable and hidden group of children.”

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