Published on: 29th July 2025
Joanne Ellis, our clinical lead for early intervention in psychosis, has been awarded a highly competitive National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (DCAF).
Joanne will use the fellowship to develop the UK’s first tailored suicide prevention intervention for people at risk of psychosis - who are up to 12 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. Despite this high risk, there are currently no bespoke interventions for this group.
Joanne’s research will be co-designed with patients, carers, NHS staff, and underserved communities, to better understand the development of suicidal thoughts and create an intervention that can be rolled out across the NHS.
Joanne, who has been with Pennine Care for 21 years, brings significant experience to this project. She has served as principal investigator and therapist on major trials such as CARMS, a therapy targeting suicidality in psychosis, and Avatar, a digital intervention to reduce distress from auditory hallucinations. She is currently principle investigator on the Mind-P trial investigating mindfulness for paranoia.
The DCAF is a prestigious, nationally competitive award that supports promising clinical and practitioner academics in completing a PhD whilst developing advanced research skills. Awarded to only a select few across the country each year, the fellowship provides full salary funding, PhD fees, and a training and development budget.
Joanne said: “I’m deeply honoured to receive this fellowship. Suicide prevention is a personal and professional passion, and this is a unique opportunity to create something that could genuinely save lives.
"By working in partnership with people who have lived experience, I hope to develop an intervention that’s not only effective, but truly meaningful to those who need it most.”
Dr Jayne Taylor, our chief psychological professions officer, added: “We’re incredibly proud of Joanne’s achievement. Her research will make a real difference to lives and reflects our commitment to innovation and inclusive, person-centred care.”
This fellowship recognises both Joanne’s talent and our growing reputation as a centre for clinical research. It also strengthens our research capacity at Pennine Care, helping drive better care, outcomes, and hope for patients and families.