The Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry’s ECR Meeting

Written by Christina Steyn and Ifeoluwa Oduguwa

On Monday 9th March 2026, early-career researchers across the Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry gathered at the Academy of Medical Sciences in London for an exciting day of learning, collaboration and connection. This event brought together ECRs from the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Exeter working at the intersection of metabolic and mental health and featured research presentations, capacity building talks, and conversations around wellbeing in academia.

Volunteering

When the Hub put out a call for event organisers in November 2025, we both jumped at the opportunity. Co-leading an academic event seemed like valuable professional development experience and we were excited about bringing together early-career researchers doing complementary work across Hub workstreams.

Planning the Event

We were keen to ensure that the programming was collaborative, so we created a form to collect suggestions from ECRs on activities and talks that they would be interested in. The suggestions we received helped shape the programming and ensured that the meeting was a valuable experience for attendees.

A key aim was providing opportunities for ECRs to present their work and get feedback from colleagues in a low-pressure setting. We were able to accommodate ten oral presentations, with ample time built in for questions and feedback. It was also very helpful to have the support of the Hub's Project Manager at the time, Dr Jess Campbell, who helped secure a venue for the meeting, coordinated travel logistics for attendees, and checked in regularly to see if we needed additional support.

The Day Begins

We kicked off with introductions, but with a twist. Rather than standard name-and-institution, attendees shared the stories behind their names: meanings, funny anecdotes, and circumstances around their naming. This was a fun way to open the meeting, help everyone relax, and make names more memorable.

Next came a surprise networking bingo where attendees went around the room to find colleagues matching specific criteria, with prizes awaiting those who filled the most boxes. These opening activities created a relaxed, collaborative atmosphere that carried through the rest of the day.

ECR Presentations

The presentations showcased the breadth of work being done by ECRs within the Hub: examining the relationship between vitamin D and suicidal behaviour, unravelling the connection between metabolism and female-specific psychiatric vulnerability, and highlighting inequalities in diabetes care in mental health populations. The engaging discussions that resulted spilled over into the coffee breaks and lunch, and by the end of the day, several ECRs were discussing potential collaborations across Hub workstreams.

Career Development Talks

We were also privileged to host talks from experienced speakers on topics shaped by ECR suggestions.

Dr Annie Jeffery from the Division of Psychiatry, UCL, shared her journey towards receiving a UK Mental Health Platform ECR fellowship. She spoke on the importance of consulting widely during idea development, getting over the cringe of selling oneself, choosing problems with clinical significance, working collaboratively with other ECRs applying, and bouncing back from rejection.

Dr Jenny Barnett, CEO of Monument Therapeutics, and Dr Elizabeth Gillot, Director of Neuroscience and Mental Health at Boehringer Ingelheim, joined online to discuss their experience of transitioning from academia to industry. They shared insights on key differences in research priorities and expectations, how to be competitive for industry roles and the kinds of roles that are typically available to ECRs in industry.

The final talk was on public speaking and how to effectively communicate research findings which was delivered by Dr Steve Hutchinson, an experienced leadership coach, facilitator and author. He shared crucial presentation tips such as the importance of leading with the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’ or ‘how’, what it means to show up authentically, and how to deal with nervousness.

Wellbeing in Academia

The day ended with a facilitated discussion on wellbeing in academia. ECRs shared strategies for managing stress, including scheduling breaks ahead of intense periods, having personal measures of success, and speaking to more experienced researchers about challenges and concerns to gain a more grounded perspective. The conversation highlighted the value of peer support and honest dialogue about the challenges of early-career academic life.

Reflections

Organising this event was incredibly rewarding. Feedback from attendees confirmed the value of bringing ECRs together in this way, with many expressing interest in attending future meetings. We are grateful to the Hub for the support that made this event possible, and we look forward to seeing how the collaborations sparked on the day continue to develop.