The Immunopsychiatry Clinic supports the clinical management of patients presenting with treatment-resistant mood disorders and a concomitant inflammatory condition. Our clinic offers one-off assessments emphasising pharmacological treatment options, psychoeducation and holistic care recommendations. As a leading research institution in the emerging field of immunopsychiatry, we ultimately strive to improve treatment outcomes for patients presenting with inflammation-associated affective disorders.As a Placement Student within the Immunopsychiatry Clinic, I have conducted a wide-array of work, encompassing both the clinical and research-based fields. From a clinical standpoint, I have assisted in the comprehensive assessment of patients, including the assimilation of assessment reports; this has involved synthesising patient information collected both a priori and during assessment to inform future care plans. Additionally, I have served as the primary author for a paper (publication TBC) outlining the psychopathological phenotype of patients within our clinic and investigating the role of immuno-metabolic dysregulation in depressive presentation. This paper will be presented, by myself, at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) conference in Milan. Through these duties, I have developed by analytical skills relating to data management and statistical analysis, contributing to the clinic's research efforts and enhancing my proficiency in handling complex data sets. I have implemented these skills through re-organisation of the clinics procedures, including the administration of new questionnaires to refine patient assessment.This placement has enriched my professional development, providing valuable insight into the intersection of psychiatry and immunology from a clinical and research standpoint, motivating me to pursue the DClinPsy and a career within clinical psychology.

As a sale assistant, my role largely involved providing advice and assistance to customers as well as supporting warehouse operations, ensuring correct stock counts and preparation of online orders. This often required the studying new products to provide customers with an informative, positive experience. Through my part-time employment within this role over a 4-year period, I developed my ability to provide customers within an informative, personalised experience to foster positive relationships with them and help ensure their retention.

I supported the supply chain on an administrative basis by preparing, and reviewing invoices, maintaining accurate stock levels on the database, preparing, and collecting shipments. Also involved in the inspection and weighing of synthetic diamond stones in accordance with the company’s quality and safety standards for the operation chain.