Maria Lee

I am a licensed psychologist and a researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience (Center for Psychiatry Research) as well as the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. My research focuses on individuals with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. 

My research is focused on understanding psychotic disorders, with the hope of ultimately improving treatments, patient care and patient outcomes. I have a long lasting interest in cognitive function in individuals with psychosis - where potential biological underpinnings and interindividual differences have been the main focus of my research. I am also interested in the intersection between female specific health conditions and severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. My current project focuses on menopause and several aspects of severe mental illness: whether this period of life is associated with an increased risk of new onset of disorders, and whether use of hormone therapy in the menopause time frame is associated with clinical outcome. 

One of the projects I am involved with is the Karolinska Schizophrenia Project (KaSP), which you can read more about at this link: https://ki.se/en/research/research-areas-centres-and-networks/research-groups/applied-developmental-neurobiology-carl-sellgren-research-group#tab-the-karolinska-schizophrenia-project-kasp- ;

I am responsible for a course in psychosis and psychotic disorders for clinical psychologists within Region Stockholm psychiatry in specialist training. Additionally, I have teaching activities at the undergraduate programme for psychologist at Stockholm Universite, at the undergraduate programmes for medical students and psychologists at the Karolinska Institutet as well as for case managers and residents in psychiatry in Region Stockholm. The topics include: introdution to psychotic disorders, cognitive function and cognitive assessment in psychotic disorders and psychotherapy in psychotic disorders.