Biography
I am a clinical academic at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, and I serve as a consultant psychiatrist within the local mental health services. In this role, I lead both the treatment-resistant schizophrenia unit and the Cambridge Psychosis Centre. With a strong focus on translating schizophrenia research into innovative clinical care interventions, I am also the Chair of the CIBERSAM scientific external committee and serve on the NIHR-HTA funding committee, contributing to large-scale clinical trials across the UK.
My research journey began with an exploration of the molecular pathways connecting schizophrenia to systemic processes, such as inflammation, ageing, and metabolism. More recently, I have shifted my focus toward improving the safety of treatment and into investigating the factors contributing to heterogeneity in schizophrenia, emphasising the neuroscience of negative symptoms and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder. My research endeavours have been supported by prominent funding bodies, including NARSAD, the National Institutes of Health (NIH, RO1), NIHR-BRC, NIHR-HTA, and MRC-NIHR.
Publications
1. 'Mortality associated with clozapine: what is the evidence?' Fernandez-Egea E, Flanagan RJ, Taylor D, Gaughran F, Lawrie SM, Jenkins C, Smith S, Howes OD, MacCabe JH. Br J Psychiatry. 2024 Sep;225(3):357-359. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2024.88. PMID: 39354861
2. 'The role of psychosis and clozapine load in excessive checking in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: longitudinal observational study.'
Fernandez-Egea E, Chen S, Sangüesa E, Gassó P, Biria M, Plaistow J, Jarratt-Barnham I, Segarra N, Mas S, Ribate MP, García CB, Fineberg NA, Worbe Y, Cardinal RN, Robbins TW. Br J Psychiatry. 2024 May;224(5):164-169. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2024.30. Epub 2024 Apr 23.
PMID: 38652060 Free PMC article.
3. 'A new era for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.' Fernandez-Egea E, Mucci A, Lee J, Kirkpatrick B. Br J Psychiatry. 2023 Jul;223(1):269-270. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2023.69. Epub 2023 Jul 10. PMID: 37424202
4. 'Is it time to change the term negative symptoms?' Fernandez-Egea E, Wolpe N. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2022 Jun;59:7-8. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.03.004. Epub 2022 Apr 1. PMID: 35378383 No abstract available.
5. 'Causes of death in clozapine-treated patients in a catchment area: a 10-year retrospective case-control study.' Rose E, Chen S, Turrion C, Jenkins C, Cardinal RN, Fernandez-Egea E. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2020 Jul;36:160-166. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.05.011. Epub 2020 Jun 13. PMID: 32546415