From helping to inoculate the public against misinformation to tackling air pollution in rapidly urbanising African cities, researchers from across the University of Cambridge were honoured at the Cambridge Awards on Monday 3rd February 2025.
The Cambridge Awards for Research Impact and Engagement, formerly the Vice-Chancellor’s Award, are held annually to recognise exceptional achievement, innovation, and creativity in developing research engagement and impact plans with significant economic, social, and cultural potential.
Cambridge Neuroscience, led by Professor Paul Fletcher were honoured in the Collaboration award for a project entitled Representing psychosis in video games: Communicating clinical science and tackling stigma
Collolaboration Award
Winner:
Lead: Prof Paul Fletcher (Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Clare College), Dr Dervila Glynn (Cambridge Neuroscience IRC), Dominic Matthews (Ninja Theory Ltd), Sharon Gilfoyle (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust)
Project: Representing psychosis in video games: Communicating clinical science and tackling stigma
This work draws together expertise in video game design and clinical neuroscience, with lived experience of mental illness to co-produce two award-winning video games vividly conveying the nature of altered experience of reality in a character with psychosis. Within conversations around mental health, psychosis is neglected and highly stigmatised.
In creating a powerful character and telling her story through gameplay, the project has enabled sensitive and thoughtful conversations about psychosis, and mental illness in general. It has had a measurably positive impact on stigma.
“Rarely have we been involved in an event or collaboration that has captured the intersection between science, art and mental health so vividly. We congratulate Paul, the team at Ninja Theory and colleagues at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.”
Dr Dervila Glynn (Cambridge Neuroscience Strategic Manager)
Professor Alasdair Coles (Clinical Co-Director)
Professor Ewan St John Smith (Biological Co-Director)
You can read more about this project here.
Dervila Glynn collected the award, presented by the Vice Chancellor, on behalf of all of the team at the ceremony on Monday 3rd February.
You can read more about this winning project and collaboration here and how Ninja Theory led a special event at Clare College on Tuesday 9th April, Hellblade: A Journey of the Mind, in collaboration with Cambridge Neuroscience in advance of the release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 here.
Find out more about the winning projects and meet our runners-up here: www.cam.ac.uk/public-engagement/cambridge-awards-2024.
Posted on 05/02/2025
