Mario Juruena

Dr, Clinical Reader in Translational Psychiatry, Consultant Psychiatrist

  • Phone80333
  • United Kingdom

  • 3969
    Citations

Personal profile

Research interests

Current Research Interests: Dr Juruena maintain an active programme of Clinical Research in Treatment-Resistant Disorders – depression, bipolar and personality disorders. Our group has been interested in developing biomarkers, particularly neuroendocrine factors – for instance, running this Translational Psychiatry Research Programme, we have been studying the connections between Stress, mainly Early Life Stress by neuroendocrine axis (HPA, thyroid, gonadal) and with a particular history of Childhood trauma and Cognition impaired in Treatment-Resistant Affective patients . We have also been developing clinical trials for new targets in pharmacotherapy and Neuromodulation in Affective Disorders.

Before moved back to the UK in 2015, after a very successful period of academic training at the Institute of Psychiatry and South London and Maudsley Trust (SLaM), from 2003-2008, Dr Juruena worked at the University of Sao Paulo, where he held from 2009-2015 a substantive academic appointment as professor doctor at Department of Neurosciences and Behaviour. In the Division of Psychiatry, he was the head of the Stress, and Affective Disorders Programme with a substantive clinical appointment as a Lead Consultant Psychiatrist at the General Clinical Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine. 

The main focus of his research is diagnostic, biomarkers, psychopharmacology and psychoneuroendocrinology in Affective Disorders. Mainly Treatment-Resistant Disorders, looking to understand the aetiology, neurobiology and long-term outcome of Treatment-Resistant Depression, Resistant Bipolar, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Treatment-Resistant Personality Disorders and relation to Early Life Stress.

Other research interests include: fMRI studies in depression and Bipolar investigating the neural correlates with separate symptom constructs – affective, behavioural and cognitive; the impact of early life trauma and the effects of pharmacotherapy on these brain networks; the effects of psychological therapy on these systems; and early neural markers of treatment response.

Contribution to the Field: Since he has received his MPhil at the Department of Psychobiology at the Federal University of Sao Paulo – and the second MSc in Affective Neuroscience, at Universiteit Maastricht, the Netherlands – He has been studying the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) function and their modulation in Affective disorders. In his doctorate (PhD) from the University of London, it became more significant with the developing of a novel suppressive test for the HPA axis using prednisolone (Juruena et al. 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013).

For the first time, Dr Juruena et al. analysed the extent to which Mineralocorticoid Receptors (MR) contribute to HPA axis suppression in Treatment-Resistant Depressed (TRD) patients. It has become more significant with the developing of s a novel suppressive test for the HPA axis using prednisolone (Juruena et al. 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2018). Additionally, his studies found a marked hypercortisolism in TRD sufficiently severe to require inpatient treatment and was able to link the MR function prospectively at the baseline to the long-term therapeutic response to the antidepressant treatment in a prospective component of the study in TRD patients. 

For these studies, the British Association for Psychopharmacology awarded Dr Juruena with "The Senior Clinical Psychopharmacology Award "; and The Royal College of Psychiatrists awarded him with Robert W. Kerwin Prize for "The Best Article published on the subject in the British Journal of Psychiatry". 

Biographical details

Dr Mario Juruena is currently a Clinical Reader in Translational Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Centre for Affective Disorders, Dept of Psychological Medicine at King’s College London, UK.

Dr Juruena is also a Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) and National Affective Disorder Service (NADS), currently the Lead Consultant for the Maudsley Advanced Treatment Service for Difficult to treat Depression and Bipolar Disorders (MATS/ SLaM).

He graduated in Medicine (MD) from Pontifical Catholic University, Southern Brazil. Dr Juruena completed his Psychiatry Training at the Saint Peter Hospital/ Public Health School and received his MPhil in Psychobiology at the Federal University of Sao Paulo and then MSc in Affective Neuroscience at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. He has also completed Cognitive Psychotherapy Training at Beck Institute (Dip CBT), Philadelphia, USA.

Dr Juruena completed his PhD in Treatment-Resistant Depression and Stress Hormones at the University of London/King’s College London in 2007. Dr Juruena has published over 150 original research articles, reviews and book chapters, and edited five books. Most of his studies are related to the Neurobiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Affective disorders (Depression and Bipolar); and their relationship to Stress.

Dr Mario Juruena was awarded by the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) ‘The Senior Clinical Psychopharmacology Award’ and received the ‘Robert W. Kerwin Psychopharmacology Prize’ from the Royal College of Psychiatrists for the best article published on the subject in the British Journal of Psychiatry. In addition, he was recently awarded the Newton Research Fellow from the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

External positions

Consultant Psychiatrist, SLaM South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

8 Nov 2016 → …

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where Mario Juruena is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
  • 1 Similar Profiles

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or