Professor Maddie Groom - Director of CANDAL

Professor Maddie Groom
  • Institution: University of Nottingham
  • Department: Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, NIHR MindTech HealthTech Research Centre Mental Health, Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre

Brief biography

Maddie is Professor of Neurodevelopmental Conditions in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham and Director of the Centre for ADHD and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the Institute of Mental Health. Maddie’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underpinning the symptoms and difficulties of neurodevelopmental conditions, particularly ADHD and tic disorders, and using this knowledge to guide improvements in the assessment and treatment of children, young people, and adults affected by neurodevelopmental differences. She also engages closely with healthcare providers to increase the impact of her research in clinical practice. Maddie is Programme Director of the MSc Mental Health: Research & Practice in the School of Medicine.

Research Study Brief Summary

In many regions of England, children and young people with tics and Tourette Syndrome are unable to access healthcare services for their tics. They experience long delays before they are given a diagnosis and, even once a diagnosis is given, they may be unable to access treatment or other support.

This has a huge impact on the children and young people, their families and friends, and the wider systems that need to support them, including schools.

For further insights into how the lack of healthcare services impacts people with tics and Tourettes, watch our animation co-designed with people with lived experience.

An NIHR-funded project led by Professor Maddie Groom at the University of Nottingham and supported by the UK charity Tourettes Action, launched on November 1st, 2023. The ImproviNg Tic Services in EnglaND (INTEND) study will explore current service provision for tics and Tourettes in England. We will also ask healthcare professionals working in children and young people’s services about their experience of assessing and treating tics and whether they feel they would benefit from more training in this area. We will then work with experts throughout England to develop a recommended care pathway for the referral, assessment and treatment of tics. We will consult commissioners and transformation managers in a number of NHS Trusts in England to gather their feedback on these recommendations. We will then seek further funding to finalise the recommendations and accompanying guidelines and evaluate their implementation in clinical services.

If you would like to find out more about this study, or get involved as a service user, healthcare professional, or a commissioner/service lead, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..