Research interests

• 1) Psychoneuroimmunology studying how psychological processes, the central nervous system, and the immune system interact and impact mental health;          
• 2) human psychopharmacology focusing on the role of the locus coeruleus in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, and novel interventions targeting the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic pathway;
• 3) neuroinflammatory mechanisms underlying anxiety and affective disorders as well as comorbid anxiety, depression, and fatigue in inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.

Current research

1) identify modifiable inflammatory processes or molecules linked to affective and anxiety disorders; and develop behavioural and/or psychopharmacological interventions with the potential to alter neuroimmune mechanisms and improve clinical outcomes;

2) explore the role of the locus coeruleus in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease using MRI imaging technique, with the goal of identifying new pharmacological intervention targets;

3) use pupillometry to facilitate quantifiable measurements of cognitive load and brain activity, in particular to explore the potential role of noradrenaline in cognitive processing under stress and anxiety;

4) examine comorbid anxiety and depression in medical conditions such as asthma, autoimmune diseases, subarachnoid haemorrhage, and cancer, and identify potential underlying mechanisms; and harness new understanding of the biological pathways underlying co-morbidities and disease clustering to develop new therapies and interventions;

5) investigate sleep problems in affective disorders and examine the role of the locus coeruleus and neuroinflammation. 

Dr Hou is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a panel member for the Professional Recognition of Educator Practice review board. She is fully involved in key stages of the BM curriculum. She received the Dean’s Award for Education for developing and leading the ‘Introduction to Clinical Medicine in Southampton’ module for international medical students. She has also set up the first medical elective in China for BM students at Southampton. She leads the Bachelor of Medical Science in psychiatry and delivers lectures, seminars, and tutorials to medical students as well as supervising PhD, MSc, MMedSci, and BMedSci students. She also delivers talks for the Royal College of Psychiatrists CPD training programmes and the NHS Foundation Trust postgraduate training programmes.

Professor Ruihua Hou is Associate Dean International 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 Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham. She joined the Department of Psychiatry at Southampton in 2007. She also holds visiting professorships at university hospitals in Shandong and Suzhou in China.

Professor Hou sits on the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), the largest community of applied neuroscience research and education in Europe. She has developed an international reputation for her research into neuroinflammation in anxiety and received MRC funding to study neuroinflammation in experimentally induced anxiety. She also pioneered the integration of imaging technologies for research into the locus coeruleus funded by the ARUK. This has established Southampton as a recognised centre for studying this key brain stem nucleus. Her research in these fields has led to ongoing international research collaborations. The scientific boards of MRC, NIHR RfPB, and EPSRC seek her expertise for review of research grant proposals. She also sits on several scientific review boards of research grant applications in Europe and China and is a reviewer of over 20 scientific journals. Professor Hou has led a number of research studies in psychiatry as principle investigator and is an editorial board member for Comprehensive Psychiatry, a bimonthly peer-reviewed medical journal established in 1960 and published by Elsevier.

Professor Hou is a strong advocate of internationalisation with a substantial track record of developing international collaborations. She successfully initiated and developed the postgraduate training programme for international psychiatrists in Southampton, launching the first UK-China annual international exchange programme in Psychiatry in 2014. She secured funding for ongoing international research collaborations, working with colleagues overseas to develop research proposals. She also maintains and strengthens international ties as a visiting professor with regular visits to overseas university hospitals, organising international conferences to boost international collaborative efforts for research and education.

Professor Hou is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a panel member for the Professional Recognition of Educator Practice review board. She is the BM(IT) programme lead and the deputy education lead for the school. She is fully involved in key stages of the BM curriculum and received the Dean's Award for Education for developing and leading the 'Introduction to Clinical Medicine in Southampton' module for international medical students. She has set up the first medical elective in China for BM students at Southampton. She leads the Bachelor of Medical Science in psychiatry and delivers lectures, seminars, and tutorials to medical students as well as supervising PhD, MSc, MMedSci, and BMedSci students. She also delivers talks for the Royal College of Psychiatrists CPD training programmes, the NHS Foundation Trust postgraduate training programmes, and workshops on international medical education.

Qulifications: 

MD Medicine and Surgery, Shandong University, China

MSc Psychiatry, Shandong University, China

PhD Psychopharmacology, University of Nottingham, UK

SFHEA Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK