Dr Shubulade (Lade) Smith CBE
President, RCPsych | Consultant Psychiatrist, SLaM | Visiting Senior Lecturer, IoPPN KCL
Dr Shubulade (Lade) Smith CBE is the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Visiting Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London.
She graduated in Medicine from Guy’s Hospital Medical School, London, where she won prizes in Psychological Medicine. After completing her psychiatry training at the Maudsley, she undertook a Research Fellowship on antipsychotic side effects under Professor Sir Robin Murray. She later established an innovative joint medication review and physical health clinic for people with severe mental illness (SMI), which was recognised by the BMA for pioneering innovation in psychiatry.
Lade has held numerous senior leadership roles, including Lead for the Acute Forensic Pathway of the South London Partnership and Clinical Director of Forensic Services at SLaM. She has specialist expertise in mental health inequality and was a core member of the Independent Mental Health Act Review, helping to shape key government recommendations to improve outcomes for Black people with mental health problems. From 2020–2023, she was joint Presidential Lead for Race and Equality at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
In recognition of her contributions, Lade was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours (2019) for services to forensic intensive psychiatric care and named Psychiatrist of the Year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists the same year. She has also been named in the HSJ’s most influential Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic leaders list in both 2023 and 2024.
Beyond her clinical and academic work, Lade co‑organised the RCPsych International Congress (2019–2023), which has grown to attract over 3,000 delegates globally. She also serves on the Board of the NHS Race & Health Observatory and is a Trustee of National MIND and the Bethlem Art Gallery.
Outside of psychiatry, Lade enjoys walking along the Thames, theatre, cinema, reading, and Zumba.
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