Professor Ruihua Hou is Associate Dean International in the Faculty of Medicine and Professor of Biological Psychiatry. Professor Hou qualified in medicine and trained as a psychiatrist. She completed a clinical fellowship followed by her PhD in psychopharmacology, both in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Nottingham. She joined the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton in 2007.

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Professor Hou has developed an international reputation for her research into neuroinflammation in anxiety and mood disorders funded by MRC. She also pioneered the integration of imaging technologies for research into the locus coeruleus funded by ARUK. Her research in these fields has led to ongoing international research collaborations. Professor Hou sits on the Scientific Advisory Panel of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the largest community of applied neuroscience research and education in Europe.

 

Professor Hou is a strong advocate of internationalisation with a substantial track record of developing international collaborations. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and leads the Bachelor of Medicine (International Transfer) programme.