This year, Julia Gottwald, a PhD student in the Department of Psychiatry, was shortlisted for her article about obsessive compulsive disorder.

The Max Perutz Science Writing Award aims to encourage and recognise outstanding written communication among MRC PhD students.

The annual competition challenges entrants to write an 800-word article for the general public answering the question: ‘Why does my research matter?’.

The PhD project focuses on how OCD starts in the first place. More than 80% of the patients experience their first symptoms before the age of 18. However, most of the research to date has focused on OCD in adults.

This research will help us to understand how OCD starts in young people, and what the key functions are that patients lack.

For more information go to: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-does-age-matter.