Meet Dr. Robert McCutcheon: A Conversation with Wolfson’s New Governing Body Fellow

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Robert McCutcheon as a newly elected Governing Body Fellow at Wolfson College. Dr. McCutcheon an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and is a Wellcome Clinical Research Career Development Fellow and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist. His research focuses on developing improved treatments for psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, particularly addressing cognitive symptoms such as memory and attention deficits.

As a Governing Body Fellow, Dr. McCutcheon joins the college’s primary decision-making body, which ensures effective governance and strategic direction for the College.

Can you tell us a little about your academic background and what led you to your field?

I initially studied chemistry before training in medicine with a view to becoming a psychiatrist. I had originally planned to work as a psychotherapist but along the way I became more interested in people experiencing psychosis.

Can you describe your current research?

I try and understand how we can better help people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. This can involve working with animal models or performing neuroimaging experiments in humans to better understand the effects of novel treatments. I am also undertaking clinical trials of new treatments, and I’m interested in how we implement care and developing tools to help us do this better.

What excites you most about your research?

We are at a point where new antipsychotics with novel mechanisms of actions are coming into clinical practice for the first time in 75 years. This has the potential to both improve outcomes for patients and to deepen our understanding of these disorders.

What most excites you about being a Governing Body Fellow at Wolfson?

I value being a part of a community that emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration and academic excellence. Wolfson’s diverse environment is enriching and stimulating, providing a unique opportunity to share ideas and learn from various disciplines. This cross-pollination of knowledge fuels innovation and is what excites me most about being here.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I used to have various interests, but now I have two young children who dictate my schedule. So, at the moment, I mostly follow their lead.

What advice would you give to students or early-career researchers?

You need to work on topics that you find interesting and with people you enjoy working with. If you find a group of like-minded individuals interested in the same problems as you there is no better job.