Contributor

Dr Raj Persaud

Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Raj Persaud is a Consultant Psychiatrist who has worked as a
Consultant at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley NHS Hospitals in London
from 1994-2008, and as an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of
Psychiatry, University of London. These are the premiere research and training institutions
for Psychiatry in Europe.

He was also Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the USA
and Institute of Neurology at Queens Square. His training in psychiatry
since leaving UCH medical school in1986 was entirely at the Institute of
Psychiatry and the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals.
Unusually for a psychiatrist, he also holds a degree in psychology,
obtained with First Class Honours, and 8 other degrees and diplomas
including a Masters in Statistics. He was awarded the Royal College
of Psychiatrists’ Research Prize and Medal as well as The Maudsley
Hospital's own Denis Hill Prize, and The Osler Medal. The Royal
College of Psychiatrists' recently also awarded him the Morris Markowe
Prize for his Public Education endeavours.

In 2004 he was appointed Visiting Professor for Public Understanding
of Psychiatry at Gresham College, and he was asked by the Royal
College of Psychiatrists to edit its first book aimed at educating the
public on psychology and psychiatry. 'The Mind: A Users Guide’ was
published in 2007 and reached the top ten best-seller list. All of his 5
previous books have been top ten best-sellers.

His writing is in several established textbooks, including the Oxford
Companion to the Mind and he has contributed a chapter in the latest
comprehensive textbook of psychiatry for trainees: Psychiatry – An
Evidence Based Text. He has approaching 100 publications in Journals
such as The British Journal of Psychiatry, British Medical Journal and
The Lancet.

Recently he was elected Fellow of University College London and the
Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is patron or supporter of numerous
mental health charities including OCD-UK, The Manic Depression
Fellowship, Association of Post-Natal Illness, Childline, Action Aid
and The Samaritans.

The Independent on Sunday Newspaper conducted a
poll amongst members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the
Institute of Psychiatry to discover who were the top ten psychiatrists
in the UK as rated by fellow psychiatrists. Dr Raj Persaud was the
youngest doctor to make it into this esteemed list.