Dr Noura Vyas, PhD, SFHEA
Faculties, deparments and locations
- Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
- Department of Psychology
- School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Penrhyn Road
Associate Professor of Mental Health and Academic School Lead for Civic Engagement
- Email:
- n.vyas@kingston.ac.uk
About
Dr Vyas is an Associate Professor in Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Kingston University. She joined Kingston University in 2012, and previously held a Senior Lecturer position at Middlesex University. Dr Vyas completed her PhD in psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), University of London in 2008. Following her PhD, she worked at the Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institutes of Health (Washington DC, USA) as a Lindemann Trust Fellow (English-Speaking Union), preceded by a Fulbright Distinguished Fellowship in 2010.
Dr Vyas teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate level in child/adolescent and adult mental health, health psychology, and clinical/cognitive neuroscience.
Dr Vyas's research focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of schizophrenia using clinical, cognitive and neuroimaging techniques. She is interested in the following.
- Studying the pattern and magnitude of neurocognitive functioning in patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS; onset before age 18) and their first-degree relatives.
- Using neuroimaging techniques such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and positron emission tomography (PET) to study brain oscillations and structural/functional (whole brain differences in white matter integrity) abnormalities in first-episode and chronic schizophrenia.
- Exploring the effectiveness of mindfulness on wellbeing in typical children.
Instagram: @mentalhealth_connect
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).
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
2016-2018: Faculty Champion (FASS) for a large-scale university initiative to evolve teaching and learning through the rollout of the new Virtual Learning Environment, Canvas.
2018- to date: KAPS Panel Assessor (SFHEA applications)
2018-2022: Course Director, Foundation Year in social sciences
2024-current: co-leading MSc conversion (online) degree
Course director
Courses taught
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.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4784-5559
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 inImproving Wellbeing and Productivity of Desk-based Workers: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. In Preparation. PROSPERO: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=295990
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
- neuropsychology
- neuroimaging
- genetic risk
- mindfulness
Scholarly affiliations
- Department of Imaging, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Series guest speaker on mental health with Resourceful Women's Network, Riverside Radio, Healing our Earth online platform, and Dharma Mandir.
Organiser of public engagement talks supporting mental health initiatives. Contributor to the KU Blogs ("how to recharge your mind", and "How to get a better night's sleep").
South West Londoner newspaper "Bipolar disorder: Can social media be used to diagnose mental illness?" by Lucy Dyer. Link: https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/18012018-bipolar-disorder-can-social-media-used-diagnose/
I am currently the School civic engagement and knowledge exchange lead.
I served as course director on the Foundation Year in Social Sciences for 4 years.
Publications
Neurocognitive profile of adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia and their unaffected siblings
Vyas, Nora S., Burke, Lisa, Netherwood, Siobhan, Caviston, Paul, Simic, Mima and Buchsbaum, Monte S., 2022, The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
Reading abilities and dopamine D₂/D₃ receptor availability : an inverted U-shaped association in subjects with schizophrenia
Mitelman, Serge A., Buchsbaum, Monte S., Vyas, Nora S., Christian, Bradley T., Merrill, Brian M., Buchsbaum, Bradley R., Mitelman, Alexis M., Mukherjee, Jogeshwar and Lehrer, Douglas S., 2021, Brain and Language (223), pp 105046
D2/D3 dopamine receptor binding with [F-18]fallypride correlates of executive function in medication-naïve patients with schizophrenia
Vyas, Nora S., Buchsbaum, Monte S., Lehrer, Douglas S., Merrill, Brian M., DeCastro, Alex, Doninger, Nicholas A., Christian, Bradley T. and Mukherjee, Jogeshwar, 2018, Schizophrenia Research (192), pp 442-456
Theory of mind in the early course of schizophrenia
Vyas, Nora S., Vyas, Shemin S., Killackey, Eoin, Haugland, Tor-Arne and Chan, Raymond C.K., 2017, Current Psychiatry Reviews (13), 2, pp 102-110
Youth services : meeting the mental health needs of adolescents
Vyas, N.S., Birchwood, M. and Singh, S. P., 2015, Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine (32), 1, pp 13-19
Association of KIBRA rs17070145 polymorphism with episodic memory in the early stages of a human neurodevelopmental disorder
Vyas, Nora S, Ahn, Kwangmi, Stahl, Daniel R, Caviston, Paul, Simic, Mima, Netherwood, Siobhan, Puri, Basant K, Lee, Yohan and Aitchison, Katherine J, 2014, Psychiatry Research (220), 1-2, pp 37-43
Recent Developments in Neurochemical Imaging in Schizophrenia: An Update
Vyas, Nora, Patel, Neva, Herscovitch, Peter, Puri, Basant and Lanzenberger, Rupert, 2013, Current Medicinal Chemistry (20), 3, pp 351-356
Evidence for an association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met gene polymorphism and general intellectual ability in early-onset schizophrenia
Vyas, Nora S and Puri, Basant K, 2012, Israel journal of psychiatry and related sciences (49), 2, pp 137-144
Treatment of early onset schizophrenia: recent trends, challenges and future considerations.
Vyas, Nora and Gogtay, Nitin, 2012, Frontiers in Psychiatry (3), pp 29
Can genetics inform the management of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia?
Vyas, Nora, Shamsi, Syed A, Malhotra, Anil K, Aitchison, Katherine J and Kumari, Veena, 2012, Journal of Psychopharmacology (26), 3, pp 334-48
Neurobiology and phenotypic expression in early onset schizophrenia
Vyas, Nora S., Patel, Neva H. and Puri, Basant K., 2011, Early Intervention in Psychiatry (5), 1, pp 3-14
The use of PET imaging in studying cognition, genetics and pharmacotherapeutic interventions in schizophrenia
Vyas, Nora S, Patel, Neva H, Nijran, Kuldip S, Al-Nahhas, Adil and Puri, Basant K, 2011, Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (11), 1, pp 37-51
What insights can we gain from studying early-onset schizophrenia? The neurodevelopmental pathway and beyond.
Vyas, Nora S, Kumra, Sanjiv and Puri, Basant K, 2010, Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (10), 8, pp 1243-1247
Insights into schizophrenia using positron emission tomography: building the evidence and refining the focus
Vyas, N.S., Patel, N. H., Nijran, K. S., Al-Nahhas, A. and Puri, B. K., 2010, The British Journal of Psychiatry (197), 1, pp 3-4
Positron emission tomography in schizophrenia: a new perspective
Patel, N. H., Vyas, N. S., Puri, B. K., Nijran, K. S. and Al-Nahhas, A., 2010, Journal of Nuclear Medicine (51), 4, pp 511-520
Effect of age at onset of schizophrenia on white matter abnormalities
Kyriakopoulos, Marinos, Perez-Iglesias, Rocio, Woolley, James, Kanaan, Richard, Vyas, Nora, Barker, Gareth, Frangou, Sophia and McGuire, Philip, 2009, The British Journal of Psychiatry (195), 4, pp 346-353
A diffusion tensor imaging study of white matter in early-onset schizophrenia
Kyriakopoulos, Marinos, Vyas, Nora, Barker, Gareth, Chitnis, Xavier and Frangou, Sophia, 2008, Biological Psychiatry (63), 5, pp 519-523
Schizophrenia
Vyas, Nora, Driver, David and Gogtay, Nitin (2024). In: Troop-Gordon, Wendy, (eds.) and Neblett, Enrique W., (eds.), Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.: Academic Press, pp 498-511
Putting technology in the frame : multiple lenses on evidenced based practice in a university wide roll out
Price, Linda, Downward, Stuart, Lawrence, David, Avery, Barry, Preston, Anne, Dias Fonseca, Tania, Vyas, Nora, Lock, Nick, Alsop, Graham, Orwell, Suzan, Beardsmore, James and Casanova, Diogo(2017). In: HEA Annual Conference 2017 - Generation TEF : Teaching in the spotlight, 04 - 06 Jul 2017 :Manchester, U.K.
D2/D3 dopamine receptor binding with [F-18] fallypride correlates of executive function in medication-naive patients with schizophrenia
Vyas, Nora, Lehrer, Douglas, Merrill, Brian, DeCastro, Alex, Doninger, Nicholas, Christian, Bradley, Mukherjee, Jogeshwar and Buchsbaum, Monte(2017). In: Society of Biological Psychiatry 72nd Annual Meeting, 18-20 May 2017 :San Diego, U.S.A.