Returning back to research to help people with serious mental illnesses

For Dr Alan Woodall, Clinical Lead GP in Integrated Health and Research at Powys Teaching Health Board, research wasn’t just a job, it was a passion. But for nearly two decades, life and career took him in a different direction. However, thanks to the NHS Research Time Awards (RTAs), funded y Health and Care Research Wales, Dr Woodall has returned to research and is now making a difference in care for people taking antipsychotics. The former NHS RTAs, now available through alternative funding schemes, gave NHS staff protected time to work on their research ideas and develop high-quality studies.

Early career

Dr Woodall began his career with a science degree and a PhD in biochemistry. He even worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. When he returned to the UK, Dr Woodall conducted groundbreaking research into the health impact of smoking bans. His work, published in the British Medical Journal, demonstrated how a partial smoking ban would actually widen health inequalities, particularly in poorer communities. The study influenced government policy leading to the implementation of the comprehensive smoking ban in England and Wales in 2007. He said:

“That work was the last piece of research I did before becoming a GP.”

Traditional academic life didn’t suit him so Dr Woodall switched to medicine and became a GP in rural Scotland. He said:

“I’m autistic and I find busy cities and crowded labs overwhelming.

“For years, I thought my research days were behind me.”

Finding his way back to research

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Woodall noticed worrying patterns among patients with serious mental illnesses, particularly the long-term physical effects of antipsychotic medications since prolonged use can increase the risk of heart disease.

A conversation with a colleague encouraged him to return to research and with their support he applied for the Health and Care Research Wales funding which was awarded to him in 2022.  Dr Woodall said:

“The Research Time Award was life-changing. It gave me the time to focus on research again, after nearly 20 years away.

Health and Care Research Wales didn’t just fund my research - they gave me my career back. I’m proud to show what autistic researchers can achieve and I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a real difference.”

Making an impact

Since receiving the award, Dr Woodall has worked on several projects. As mentioned before, one of his studies looks at how antipsychotic medications are managed in primary care. These findings will help improve care for patients living with serious mental illnesses and reduce risks associated with long-term medication use.

He is also part of the DynAIRx (Artificial Intelligence for dynamic prescribing optimisation and care integration in multimorbidity) project, which aims to develop new, easy to use, artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support GPs and pharmacists to find patients with multiple health conditions a better combination of medicines to prescribe. Dr Woodall said:

“This work has the potential to help up to 14 million patients across the UK who have multiple long-term health conditions.”

Looking ahead

Dr Woodall continues to split his time between clinical work in Powys and his research. He is also passionate about the wider impact of research. He said:

“As a GP, I can help a few hundred patients a year. Through research, I can make a difference to tens of thousands - or more.”

The right support can help people not only return to research but thrive and change lives in the process. The Health and Care Research Wales Faculty offers extensive support and mentorship for researchers. To learn more about how you can access Faculty resources, check out the Faculty’s funding and awards.