The University of Roehampton is proud to announce that three of its academics have secured a total of £88,022 through the Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer, Round 4 (AKT R4) scheme. These awards highlight pioneering initiatives designed to transform addiction recovery and treatment through cutting-edge research, cross-sector partnerships, and practical interventions.
The AKT (R4) programme supports collaboration between universities and external organisations, delivering rapid and targeted interventions that accelerate the evaluation and development of new innovations. Projects funded under this scheme are focused on improving treatment, recovery, harm reduction, and prevention for people living with drug or alcohol addictions.
The Roehampton projects awarded funding include:
Dr Lata Nautiyal (School of Computing and Sustainable Engineering and Technology) with Changing Tunes, Bristol
This collaboration will strengthen Changing Tunes’ client data management systems to generate actionable insights. The improvements will enable better decision making, more effective reporting, and enhanced tracking of individual progress through therapy.
David Jones, CEO of Changing Tunes, said “We are really pleased to have worked with Lata on this funding award. We really look forward to developing and enhancing our IT systems with the help of the University of Roehampton.”
Dr Luisa Perino (School of Psychology) with Clerkenwell Health
This project will create and review a dual-diagnosis, addiction-focused module for Clerkenwell Health’s Psychedelic Assisted Therapy (PAT) training programme. The module will equip professionals to address substance use disorders and dual diagnosis through this innovative form of treatment.
Henry Fisher of Clerkenwell Health said “We're delighted to be working with Roehampton School of Psychology on this vital project, and for Luisa's expertise in this area in particular. As psychedelic-assisted therapy moves closer to approval it is crucial that treatment programmes for real-world populations are developed with bottom-up patient involvement in the process, as this project is doing with addictions and dual diagnosis. This will be the first PAT therapy course to formally target dual diagnosis in particular, moving us away from idealised patient cohorts seen in clinical trials and towards the actual presentations seen in mental health and substance misuse treatment settings. Excitingly, this is the first step to allowing us to really explore these treatments' transdiagnostic potential.”
Dr Luisa Perino (School of Psychology) with Community Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service (CDARS)
This project will co-produce and evaluate a neurodiversity and dual diagnosis-informed recovery programme. The initiative is designed for CDARS professionals and peer mentors, with the aim of improving service accessibility and ensuring neuro-inclusive addiction recovery support.
Dr Adele Costabile (School of Health and Life Sciences) with Back to Balance Test
This research will validate a gut microbiome-based digital intervention that supports alcohol addiction recovery by improving gut health, mental wellbeing, and resilience against relapse. The project will deliver scalable, personalised post-detox support, aligning with NHS priorities for preventative and evidence-based care.
By working in partnership with community organisations, health services, and industry, Roehampton academics are helping to create evidence-based solutions that offer hope and improved outcomes for individuals and communities affected by addiction.
For more information about the Innovate UK AKT scheme, please visit: Innovate UK competition overview.