Dr Noura S Vyas

Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
Department of Psychology
School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences
Penrhyn Road
Behaviour, Business and Policy

Associate Professor of Mental Health and Course Director, MSc Clinical Applications of Psychology

[email protected]

ORCID

About

I am an Associate Professor in Psychology at Kingston University London, with over 14 years of experience teaching and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students. I assumed the role as Course Director of the MSc Clinical Applications of Psychology in 2025 and previously held a Course Director role on the Foundation Year in Social Sciences (2018-2022). My academic journey began with a PhD in Psychiatry from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), University of London, followed by a postdoctoral training as a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar and Lindemann Trust Fellow at the Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Washington, DC, USA.

My research focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of serious psychiatric disorders. I employ integrative methodologies spanning clinical, genetic, neurocognitive, and neuroimaging approaches (including MEG, PET, DTI, and fMRI) to elucidate the mechanisms underlying psychopathology. My work has recently expanded to include interdisciplinary collaborations on oncology, artificial intelligence, and mindfulness-based interventions aimed at improving patient outcomes.

Honours and awards

2017: Women of the Year Award, British Asian Achievers Award
2017: Team Excellence Award, Succeed Canvas project, Rose Awards.
2017: "Highly Commended" STEM Leader, Forward Ladies National Awards (London & South Regional Final)
2017: ‘Inspirational Role Model of the Year' (Finalist) category, European Diversity Awards
2017: ‘Women of the Future Awards – Science' (Finalist) category, Women of the Future Awards
2017: Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Award
2017: Young Investigator Award, 13th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry (Copenhagen, Denmark).
2016: Outstanding Women in Science, Technology & Mathematics (STEM), Precious Award.
2016: Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship, Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
2016: Marquis Who's Who in the World (33rd edition)
2011: Lindemann Trust Fellowship, English-Speaking Union
2011: Fulbright Black History Month Travel Award, US-UK Fulbright Commission.
2010: Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award, US-UK Fulbright Commission.
2010: Asian Achievers Award (AAA) Gold Award for Achievement in Healthcare.
2009: Young Scientist Award, Ninth World Congress of Biological Psychiatry (Paris, France).
2009: Travel Award, Neuroscience and Mental Health Interdisciplinary Research Group, Cardiff, to present at the European Congress on Psychiatry conference 2009 (Lisbon, Portugal).
2008: Young Researcher Award, Third International Conference on Schizophrenia (Chennai, India).
2008: Travel Award, American Genetics Association Annual Symposium (Raleigh, NC, USA).

Instagram: @mentalhealth_connect

Qualifications

Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy
Associate Fellow (AFBPsS), British Psychological Society
Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCertHE) with Distinction
Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (GCAP) with Distinction
Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society
Chartered Scientist, The Science Council
PhD, Psychiatry, University of London (King's College London)
BSc (Hons) Psychology, City University London

Domains

Research Funding

2010-11: Examining brain connectivity, genes and neurocognition of childhood-onset schizophrenia and high-risk siblings. Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award, US-UK Fulbright Commission.
2011-12: Brain connectivity in childhood-onset schizophrenia and their healthy siblings. Lindeman Trust Fellowship, English Speaking Union.
2013-2015: Brain oscillatory patterns in childhood-onset schizophrenia. Research Capability Fund, Kingston University London.
2015: Dopamine receptor imaging in bipolar disorder. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
2016: Multimodal imaging and cognition in schizophrenia. Churchill Fellowship, Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.
2020-21: Cognitive testing facilities. UKRI World Class Laboratories (WCL) Fund.
2020-21: Cognitive functioning in patients with lymphoma. CResCID grant, Kingston University London.
2020-21: Neurocognition in psychosis. CResCID grant, Kingston University London.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

26. Vyas NS, et al. Cognitive function in early onset schizophrenia. In Preparation
25. Wadhen V, Pavey L, Vyas NS. The Effectiveness of Yoga Interventions in Improving Wellbeing and Productivity of Desk-based Workers: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. In Preparation.
24. Vyas NS, Burke L, Buxton J, Netherwood S, Caviston P, Simic M, Buchsbaum MS. Association of susceptibility genes and cognitive performance in schizophrenia. Under review.
23. Vyas NS, Burke L, Netherwood S, Caviston P, Simic M, Buchsbaum MS (2022). Neurocognitive profile of adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings. World J Biol Psychiatry, 23 (9), 677-688 doi: 10.1080/15622975.2021.2023758.
22. Mitelman SA, Buchsbaum MS, Vyas NS, Christian BT, Merrill BM, Buchsbaum BR, Mitelman AM, Mukherjee J, Lehrer DS (2021). Reading abilities and dopamine D 2/D 3 receptor availability: An inverted U-shaped association in subjects with schizophrenia. Brain & Language. 223, 105046. doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105046.
21. Vyas NS, Buchsbaum MS, Lehrer DS, Merrill BM, DeCastro A, Doninger A, Christian BT, Mukherjee J (2018). D2/D3 dopamine receptor binding with [F-18]fallypride correlates of executive function in medication-naïve patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 192, 442-456. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.05.017.
20. Vyas NS, Wang Y, Vyas SS, Killackey E, Haugland T-A, Chan RCK (2017). Theory of mind in the early course of schizophrenia. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 13 (2), 102-110. doi: 10.2174/1573400513666170502125017
19. Vyas NS, Birchwood M, Singh SP (2015). Youth Services: Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Adolescents. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 32, 13-19.
18. Vyas NS, Ahn K, Stahl DR, Caviston P, Simic M, Netherwood S, Puri BK, Lee Y, Aitchison KJ (2014). Association of KIBRA rs17070145 polymorphism with episodic memory in the early stages of a human neurodevelopmental disorder. Psychiatry Research, 220 (1-2), 37-43.
17. Vyas NS, Patel NH, Herscovitch P, Puri BK, Lanzenberger R (2013). Recent Developments in Neurochemical Imaging in Schizophrenia: An Update. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 20 (3), 351-356
16. Weisinger B, Greenstein D, Mattai A, Clasen L, Lalonde F, Feldman S, Miller R, Tossell JW, Vyas NS, Stidd R, David C, Gogtay N (2013). Lack of Gender Influence on Cortical and Subcortical Gray Matter Development in Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 39 (1), 52-58.
15. Vyas NS, Lee Y, Ahn K, Ternouth A, Stahl D, Al-Chalabi A, Powell JF, Puri BK (2012). Association of a Serotonin Receptor 2A Gene Polymorphism and Visual Sustained Attention in Early Onset Schizophrenia and their Non-Psychotic Siblings. Aging and Disease, 3(4), 291-300.
14. Vyas NS, Puri BK (2012). Association of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene Polymorphism on general intellectual ability in early onset schizophrenia. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 49 (2), 137-142.
13. Vyas NS, Gogtay N (2012). Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia: Recent Trends, Challenges and Future Considerations. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 3(29) 1-5.
12. Vyas NS, Shamsi SA, Malhotra AK, Aitchison KJ, Kumari V (2012). Can Genetics Inform the Management of Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia? Journal of Psychopharmacology, 26, 334-348.
11. Gogtay N*, Vyas NS *, Testa R, Wood SJ, Pantelis C* (2011). Age of Onset of Schizophrenia: Perspectives form Structural Neuroimaging Studies. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 37 (4), 503-514.
10. Vyas NS, Patel NH, Puri BK (2011). Neurobiology and Phenotypic Expression in Early Onset Schizophrenia. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 5 (2), 3-14.
9. Vyas NS, Patel NH, Nijran KS, Al-Nahhas A, Puri BK (2011). The Use of PET Imaging in Studying Cognition, Genetics and Pharmacotherapeutics Interventions in Schizophrenia. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 11 (1), 37-51.
8. Kumar CTS, Christodoulou T, Vyas NS, Kyriakopoulous M, Corrigall R, Reichenberg A, Frangou S (2010). Deficits in Visual Sustained Attention Differentiate Genetic Liability and Disease Expression for Schizophrenia from Bipolar Disorder. Schizophrenia Research, 124 (1-3), 152-160.
7. Vyas NS, Kumra S, Puri BK (2010). What Insights Can We Gain from Studying Early-Onset Schizophrenia? The Neurodevelopmental Pathway and Beyond. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 10 (8), 1243-1247.
6. Vyas NS*, Patel NH*, Nijran KS, Al-Nahhas A, Puri BK (2010). Insights on Schizophrenia using Positron Emission Tomography Imaging: Building the Evidence and Refining the Focus. British Journal of Psychiatry, 197 (1), 3-4.
5. Patel NH, Vyas NS, Puri BK, Nijran KS, Al-Nahhas A (2010). Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Schizophrenia: A New Perspective. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 51 (4), 511-520.
4. Vyas NS, Patel NH, Nijran KS, Al-Nahhas A, Puri BK (2010). Can PET/CT Imaging Advance Our Understanding of the Neurobiology of Schizophrenia? Nuclear Medicine Communications, 31 (2), 91-93.
3. Kyriakopoulos M, Perez-Iglesias R, Woolley JB, Kanaan RAA, Vyas NS, Barker GJ, Frangou S, McGuire PK (2009). Age of Onset Modifies Location of White Matter Abnormalities in Schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 195 (4), 346-353.
2. Kyriakopoulos M, Vyas NS, Chitnis X, Barker GJ, Frangou S (2008). Parietal White Matter Abnormalities in Early Onset Schizophrenia: A Voxel-Based Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Biological Psychiatry, 63 (5), 519-523.
1. Vyas NS, Hadjulis M, Vourdas A, Byrne P, Frangou S (2007). The Maudsley Early Onset Schizophrenia Study. Predictors of Psychosocial Outcome at 4-year Follow-Up. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 16 (7), 465-470.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Psychology
PhD Psychiatry
CSci
CPsychol
AFBPsS

Specialisms

psychosis
neuroimaging
neuropsychology
mindfulness

Scholarly affiliations

Department of Imaging, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Publications

Exploring the effectiveness of yoga interventions in improving the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Wadhen, Vipin, Pavey, Louisa and Vyas, Nora S., 2025, Applied Psychology (74), 6, Published

Dr Noura S Vyas

About

Honours and awards

Qualifications

Domains

Teaching and learning

Research

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

Leadership and management

Publications

Articles

Book Sections/Chapters

Conference Items

Videos of my work

Mental Health and Wellbeing

What is schizophrenia?

Meditation commentary - experience

WMHD2021_part1

WMHD2021_part2

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