Staff Profile

Introduction

My areas of clinical academic interest area are bipolar disorder impacting on children and adolescents and complex neurodevelopmental disorders.

Areas of expertise

• Child and adolescent mood disorders
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Paediatric psychopharmacology
• Co-design and co-production in mental health
• Use of m-health technologies

Qualifications

• MBBS MD MRCPsych PhD

Memberships

• Member of Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom
• Member of the Child Psychiatry Research Society, United Kingdom
• Vice Chair of Executive Committee of CAPSS (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System) of Royal College of Psychiatrists UK
• Member of the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, United Kingdom
• Member of the British Association for Psychopharmacology

Current Work

I completed my PhD on 'Neurocognition and Facial Processing in Bipolar Offspring' which was awarded in September 2013.

I am Chief Investigator on the FAB study (Family focussed treatment for Adolescents with Bipolar disorder) funding for which has been awarded from the Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) stream of NIHR.

In addition I was the Principal Investigator for the First Paediatric Bipolar Disorder Surveillance Study of United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (PBSS-UK&ROI).

Esteem Indicators

Awards

1. Awarded the Donald Court Travel Bursary to attend the 7^th Bipolar Conference at Pittsburgh USA in June 2007 and to train on the WASH U KSADS at St Louis USA in November 2007.
2. Awarded the Donald Court Travel Bursary to attend the NIH Paediatric Bipolar Disorder Conference at Boston, USA 28^th- 29^th March 2008.
3. Awarded the Margaret Davenport Award for best scientific presentation at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Faculty Annual Conference of RCPsych at Oxford 2010. 
4. Awarded Lilly Young Investigator Fellowship by International Society for Bipolar Disorders and UPMC at 9^th Bipolar Conference at University of Pittsburgh USA
5. Selected by British Association for Psychopharmacology to attend the ECNP (European College of Neuropsychopharmacology) 1^st School of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychopharmacology at Venice Italy, 19-24 Feb 2012

Training
1. Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised (ADI-R) for clinical and research purposes: Trained by Prof Le Couteur, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
2. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Modules 1-4 for clinical and research purposes: Trained by Prof Bailey, Oxford, UK
3. Trained on the WASH U KSADS in Nov 2007 by Prof Geller, St Louis, USA
4. Received training on Clinical and Research methodology in Paediatric Bipolar Disorder at Stanford University, USA by Dr Kiki Chang: Nov 2007
5. Received training in Functional Imaging in Paediatric Bipolar Disorder at NIH, Bethesda, USA with Prof Leibenluft: July 2008

Presentations

1. Invited to lecture at Sitaram Bhartia Institute, New Delhi, India: October 2007
2. Invited to lecture at Department of Psychiatry, Lady Hardinge Medical College, University of Delhi, India: October 2007. 
3. Invited to lecture at the North East Branch of the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH): 25 January 2008
4. Invited to lecture at the Safecare meeting of the Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust: February 2008
5. Invited to attend research meeting at Columbia University: February 2008
6. Invited to lecture at Stanford University, USA: March 2008
7. Invited to lecture at the Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust Journal Club (Tomlinson Teaching Centre Event): March 2008
8. Invited to attend: NIH Paediatric Bipolar Disorder Conference, Boston USA (March 2008). Also presenting a poster at the meet.
9. Invited to lecture at Child Psychiatry Research Society UK May 2008
10. Invited to lecture at Social Cognition Group (Newcastle University) 3 October 2008.
11. Invited to lecture at Academic Seminar of the Institute of Neurosciences 19 November 2008 
12. Invited to lecture at the North East Branch of the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH): 28 November 2008
13. Invited Speaker at Oxford University Nov 2010
14. Invited Speaker Cambridge University Feb 2011
15. Invited Speaker at Leeds University May 2011
16. Invited Speaker by Association of Child & Adolescent Mental Health to present at Jack Tizard Annual Lecture 2011
17. Invited Speaker at Innsbruck University 18^th May 2012 to present at Austro-German Bipolar symposium to present findings from Surveillance of Paediatric Bipolar I Disorder: UK &ROI

Funding: PI on

1. £10,000: May 2008 from R&D Department of NTW NHS Trust towards the COMPIC Study
2. £4,000: May 2008 from Mental Health Foundation North East Branch towards the COMPIC Study
3. £22,452: September 2008 from R&D Department of NTW NHS trust towards the Surveillance of Paediatric Bipolar Disorder in UK & ROI
4. £10,000: April 2009 from R&D Department of NTW NHS trust towards the Surveillance of Paediatric Bipolar Disorder in UK & ROI
5. £1,750: May 2009 from Mental Health Foundation North East Branch towards the Surveillance of Paediatric Bipolar Disorder in UK & ROI
6. £48,559: August 2009 and then May 2010 from R&D Department of NTW NHS trust towards the Surveillance of Paediatric Bipolar Disorder in UK & ROI
7. £21,848: August 2009 from R&D Department of NTW NHS trust towards COMPIC Study (Family Environment Component)
8. £16,430: July 2011 from R&D Department of NTW NHS Foundation Trust towards prepilot work for FBI study 
9. £249,948: RfPB Round 18: Adapting Family Focussed Treatment for Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder: a UK feasibility study

Undergraduate Teaching

Am involved in teaching of Stage 3 and Stage 5 Medical Students at Newcastle Medical School. In addition I also lecture to Final Year students at the Newcastle Dental School.

Postgraduate Teaching

I help coordinate the Academic Programme for the Higher Specialist Trainees in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry within Health Education North East

• Sharma AN, Barron E, Le Couteur J, Close A, Rushton S, Grunze H, Kelly T, Ferrier N, Le Couteur AS. Facial emotion labeling in unaffected offspring of adults with Bipolar I Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders 2017, 208, 198-204.
• Sharma A, Camilleri N, Grunze H, Barron E, Le Couteur J, Close A, Rushton S, Kelly T, Ferrier I, Le Couteur A. Neuropsychological study of IQ scores in offspring of parents with Bipolar I Disorder. Cognitive Neuropsychology 2017, 22(1), 17-27.
• Sharma A, Neely J, Camilleri N, James A, Grunze H, Le Couteur A. Incidence, characteristics and course of narrow phenotype paediatric bipolar I disorder in the British Isles. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2016, 134(6), 522-532.
• Sharma A, Marshall A, Flynn D, Balaam M. Participatory design methods to co-design and co-produce digital health technology with adolescents. In: 18th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders & 8th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Affective Disorders. 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
• Sharma A, McGurk K, Ryan V, Hodgetts S, McGovern R, Vale L, Miklowitz D, Le Couteur A. Psychotherapeutic interventions for adolescents with bipolar disorder and their parents: data from the FAB study. In: 18th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders & 8th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Affective Disorders. 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Bennett F, Grunz H, Close A, Schaerer L, Suppes T, Mintz J, Hellemann G, Frye M, McElroy S, Nolen W, Kupka R, Leverich G, Altshuler L, Miller S, Keck P, Post R, Sharma A. Stanley foundation bipolar network: predictors of psychosocial outcome. In: 18th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders & 8th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Affective Disorders. 2016, Amsterdamn, The Netherlands: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Neely J, Miklowitz D, Le Couteur AS, Ryan V, Vale L, McGovern R, Sharma A. A feasibility study of a Family Focused Treatment for Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder - the FAB study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2015, 1, 43.
• Forster T, Sharma A. Absolutely FAB – Family focussed treatment for Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder – a feasibility study. In: AFT 40th Anniversary Conference 'Daring to be Different – a time to remember, looking back to the future'. 2015, Durham, UK.
• Ozerdem A, Sharma AN, Miklowitz DJ. Cross-cultural issues in family interventions for bipolar disorder. In: 17th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. 2015, Toronto, Canada: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Ozerdem A, Sharma A, Miklowitz DJ. Cross-Cultural Issues in Family Interventions for Bipolar Disorders. In: 17th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. 2015, Toronto, Canada: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
• Sharma A, Barron E, LeCouteur J, Close A, Rushton S, Grunze H, Kelly T, Ferrier IN, LeCouteur A. Emotion Labeling in Bipolar Offspring. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2015. In Preparation.
• Sharma A, Camilleri N, Grunze H, Barron E, LeCouteur J, Close A, Rushton S, Kelly T, Ferrier IN, LeCouteur A. IQ in Psychopathology Free Offspring of Adults with Bipolar I Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders 2015. In Preparation.
• Sharma A, Singh MK, LeCouteur AS. Understanding adolescent bipolar disorder (BD-A): when is a dual diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) appropriate? Experiences from the USA and UK. In: 17th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. 2015, Toronto, Canada: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Bennett-Henman F, LeCouteur A, Willis C, Sharma A. Audit on Physical Health Monitoring Baseline Checks for Patients accepted by Adolescent Bipolar Service (ABS). In: Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Conference 2014. 2014, Cardiff, Wales.
• Sharma A, Kyriakopoulos M. Autism and psychoses: assessment and management. In: International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 2014, London, UK.
• Barron E, Sharma A, Le Couteur J, Rushton S, Close A, Kelly T, Grunze H, Ferrier I, Le Couteur A. Family environment of bipolar families: A UK study. Journal of Affective Disorders 2014, 152-154, 522-525.
• Sharma A, Neely J, Camilleri N, James A, Grunze H, LeCouteur A. Surveillance of Narrow Phenotype Bipolar I Disorder in youth under 16 years in the British Isles: Incidence and 1 year follow up. British Journal of Psychiatry 2014. Submitted.
• Smith E, Sharma A. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Surveillance System (CAPSS): The First Five Years. London, UK: CCQI Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2014.
• Sharma A. Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. In: Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. New York, USA: Springer, 2013, pp.498-515.
• Sharma AN, Neely J, Le Couteur AS, Grunze H, Nicholls D, James A, Graham P, Lynn R, Scott J, Ferrier IN. Study of pediatric bipolar disorder in UK and ROI: development of a case definition and pilot data from North East England. Bipolar Disorders 2009, 11(Supplement 1), 79 P182.
• Goswami U, Sharma A, Varma A, Gulrajani C, Ferrier IN, Young AH, Gallagher P, Thompson JM, Moore PB. The neurocognitive performance of drug-free and medicated euthymic bipolar patients do not differ. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2009, 120(6), 456-463.
• Goswami U, Varma A, Sharma A, Thompson JM, El-Badri S, Ferrier IN, Moore PB. A comparison of the neurocognitive deficits in bipolar disorder between New Delhi and Newcastle centres. In: Bipolar Disorders: 3rd Biennial Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. 2008, New Delhi, India: Wiley-Blackwell Munksgaard.
• Sharma A, Le Couteur AS, Nicholls D, Graham P, Lynn R, Ferrier IN. Paediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Way Forward. British Journal of Psychiatry 2008, 192, 150-152.
• Goswami U, Gulrajani C, Varma A, Sharma A, Ferrier IN, Young AH, Moore PB. Soft neurological signs do not increase with age in euthymic bipolar subjects. Journal of Affective Disorders 2007, 103(1-3), 99-103.
• Goswami U, Sharma A, Khastigir U, Ferrier IN, Young AH, Gallagher P, Thompson JM, Moore PB. Neuropsychological dysfunction, soft neurological signs and social disability in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry 2006, 188(4), 366-373.
• Goswami U, Varma A, Young AH, Gulrajani C, Moore PB, Khastgir U, Sharma AN, Ferrier IN. Determinants of neurocognitive dysfunction in euthynhc bipolar disorder. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2002, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Goswami U, Gulrajani C, Moore PB, Varma A, Young AH, Khastgir U, Sharma AN, Ferrier IN. Neurocognitive decline in bipolar mood disorder role of mood stabilizers. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: Summer Meeting of the British Association for Psychopharmacology. 2002, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Goswami U, Sharma AN, Khastgir U, Thompson JM, Moore PB, Young AH, Ferrier, symptomatically IN2001NeurocognitivestatusintheimprovedBipolarPatients. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2001, (15 (Suppl):A66).
• Goswami U, Sharma AN, Khastgir U, Thompson JM, Moore PB, Young AH, Ferrier IN. Neuro-Logical Soft Signs in Euthymic Bipolar Disorder. Journal of Psychopharmacology 2001, (15(suppl):A20).
• Goswami U, Sharma AN. Gender Differences in Affective Disorders: Special Issues. Proceedings of the Mid Term CME of the Indian Psychiatric Society (North Zone) 2000, 30-36.