Personal profile

Personal Statement

I joined the School of Psychological Sciences and Health as a Lecturer in Psychology in 2022, having previously worked as a Researcher for Police Scotland and the Scottish Government. My research interests lie predominantly within the field of the psychology of mental health, developmental psychology and health psychology. My work focuses on understanding both risk and protective factors associated with mental health and wellbeing as well as self-directed and interpersonal violence.

Research Interests

My research interests lie predominantly within the field of health psychology, clinical psychology, and developmental psychology and focus on understanding risk and protective factors associated with self-directed and interpersonal violence.

My primary research interest focuses on conducting research that provides insights into risk and protective factors for self-harm during adolescence. In particular, I have focused on the role of sleep disturbance within the pathway to self-harm thoughts and behaviours, and have sought to better understand the psychological processes underpinning this link.

I am also interested in examining interpersonal violence in young people. My work in this area focuses on predictors of involvement in violence and evaluating violence prevention initiatives in Scotland. I have published a report, In partnership with Scottish Government, summarising international research evidence on what works to prevent and reduce youth violence.

Teaching Interests

I currently teach on both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within the School of Psychological Sciences and Health

I am Class Lead for the undergraduate Development class and contribute to teaching in both Clinical Psychology and Professional Practice on the MSC in Clinical Health Psychology programme.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 1 - No Poverty
  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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