Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) Year 5 student Aquib Butt has recently presented his Independent Research Project (IRP) at the prestigious 25th World Congress of Psychiatry, held in Prague.
Held between the 5 to the 8 October 2025, Aquib travelled to the Czech Republic to present his IRP, titled “Impact of adjuvant metformin on olanzapine induced metabolic adverse effects: a systematic review”, which explores pharmacological strategies to reduce the metabolic side effects associated with antipsychotic treatment, a topic of growing importance in psychiatric care.
After completing his systematic review in Year 4, Aquib actively sought opportunities to share his findings with the wider medical community. His abstract was accepted for a short oral presentation at the congress, making him the only medical student presenting among a global cohort of leading psychiatrists, clinicians, and researchers.
The annual congress is dedicated to exploring the most urgent challenges and groundbreaking developments in psychiatry. This year’s programme spanned a wide range of topics, from advances in psychiatric diagnosis and treatment to the integration of digital technologies in mental health care, as well as cutting-edge research in neuroscience.
Attending and presenting at the World Congress of Psychiatry in Prague was a very rewarding and formative experience. As the only medical student presenting amongst some of the world’s most influential psychiatrists, I felt proud to contribute to the growing body of research shaping the future of psychiatric care.
Aquib’s presentation sparked meaningful conversations with international experts about improving physical health outcomes for patients with mental illness.
This experience reinforced the importance of student-led research and served as a reminder of my motivation to choose medicine: to pose challenging questions, challenge existing practice, and ultimately make a difference. Being able to represent myself and Kent and Medway Medical School on a global stage was both humbling and encouraging, it’s an experience that will stay with me throughout my career.
Outside the conference, Aquib was also able to enjoy exploring the historic city of Prague, including visits to the astronomical clock and the National Museum.
Huge congratulations to Aquib on this outstanding achievement and for representing KMMS with such professionalism and passion.
His IRP was recently published in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports, which you can read online.