Supervisors: Dr Suzanne O’Rourke (Lead) & Prof Matthias Schwannauer

I graduated from the College of St. Joseph in the United States with an MS in Clinical Psychology in 2013, and I graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2015 with an MSc in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology.  My current research interests include the neuropsychological characteristics of violent offenders and forensic populations, the neuropsychological correlates of psychiatric diagnoses and the developmental risk factors for major mental health problems as well as offending behaviours.  I began my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2015 looking at the cognitive contributors to violence risk and the development of a violence risk assessment tool that includes these cognitive factors.

Supervisors: Prof Matthias Schwannauer (Lead) & Prof Stephen Lawrie

I graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2012 with an MA in psychology/sociology and completed my MSc in cross-cultural psychology at Brunel University in 2013. My research interests broadly include psychosis, self-stigma and experiences of mental illnesses across cultures. I began my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2015. I will be examining whether adding metacognitive training modules to cognitive behavioural therapy will improve outcome in medication resistant psychosis.  

Supervisors: Dr Jo Williams (Lead) & Dr Alex Weiss

I graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science (BSc Hons) from Bangor University and in 2012 with a Master of Research (MRes) from the University of Roehampton. My research interests include human-animal relationships, biophillia, emotion recognition, early interventions and preventing animal cruelty. I also have a keen interest in animal-assisted therapy and ecotherapy. I began my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2015. My current goal as a PhD student is to gain a scientific understanding of the psychological factors underlying both positive and negative aspects of child-animal relationships in order to improve mental health and well-being in both human and non-human animals.

Supervisors: Prof Matthias Schwannauer (Lead) & Dr Ethel Quayle

Graduated from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh in 2010 with a BSc(Hons) in Psychology and from the University of Edinburgh in 2012 with an MSc in Psychological Research Methods. My research interests include trauma and trauma recovery, emotion regulation, interpersonal/social skills and attachment. I began my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2013 examining how adults with a history of interpersonal trauma recover.

Supervisors: Dr Emily Taylor (Lead) & Dr Jo Williams

Currently studying Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), exploring adolescent perfectionism.  Previously completed degrees at the University of Glasgow: B.Sc. (Hons.) Psychology (Awarded 2011) and M.Sc. Research Methods of Psychological Science with Merit (Awarded 2012, funded by the C.K. Marr Educational Trust). Broad interests in areas of clinical and cognitive psychology.  Experience researching typically developing, eating disordered, and sleep disordered populations.  Recent work has focused on typically developing and clinical adolescent populations, employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Collaborations with National Health Service (NHS), education authorities, and other public sector organisations.  Currently employed part-time as Research Assistant with Father’s Network Scotland, developing and evaluating workshops for first time fathers. Clinical experience includes Honorary Assistant Psychologist position in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), NHS Lothian (2012-present) and Relief Worker position with Capability Scotland (2009-2012). Teaching experience and course development across undergraduate and postgraduate courses at University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow.

Supervisors: Dr Ethel Quayle (Lead) & Dr Marion Smith

Social Worker Universidad de Valparaiso, Chile, Master in Applied Social Sciences, Universidad de la Frontera Chile, Master in Society Sciences University Paris 12, France. Lecturer and researcher School of Social Work, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile. Researcher NGO PAICABI, Chile.

My research interests include the phenomenon and the Intervention in Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), and the Discourse Analysis approach. I began my Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in Health at the University of Edinburgh in 2013. I am conducting a study that aims to describe, understand and analyse the programmes of social intervention on CSEC, the social intervention models on CSEC, and the interdisciplinary practices on CSEC implemented in the last decade in Chile.  I am using Discourse Analysis approach.

Supervisors: Dr Stella Chan (Lead) & Dr Angus MacBeth

I graduated from the University of Greenwich in 2014 with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and from the University of Southampton in 2015 with an MSc in Foundations of Clinical Psychology. I began my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2016 investigating self-compassion in adolescents. My research interests include self-compassion and mental well-being, attachment and adolescent depression.

Supervisors: Dr Stella Chan (Lead) & Dr Ethel Quayle

I started my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in September 2015. My PhD project aims to investigate how secondary attachment is linked with primary attachment, further how these attachment representations influence depression and wellbeing in adolescents. My PhD proposal is based upon my previous research (Association of grandparent-grandchild relationship with empathy and depression in adolescent-grandchildren: Mixed-method Study) during my MSc in Behavioral Sciences at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Pakistan.

Supervisors: Prof Matthias Schwannauer (Lead) & Dr Helen Griffiths

I am a part-time PhD Student and Assistant Psychologist for the Early Psychosis Support Service (EPSS) in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), NHS Lothian. I studied undergraduate Psychology at Edinburgh graduating in 2009 and completed an MSc in Mental Health Studies at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London in 2012. My interests include attachment theory, mentalization, psychosis, at-risk mental states for psychosis, social withdrawal and recovery. I am currently running two studies as part of my PhD project, an online survey and a cross-sectional study with help-seeking young adults in Edinburgh. I'm interested in the interactions between psychological variables such as attachment style and emotion regulation in the development of social withdrawal for young adults. I am especially interested in these processes for young adults who also have experiences of psychosis.

Supervisors: Dr Suzanne O’Rourke (Lead) & Prof Matthias Schwannauer

I graduated from the Acadia University, Nova Scotia in 2013 with a B.Sc.Hons in Psychology.  I commenced my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2013 examining the long-term neuropsychological and risk-related outcomes in mentally disordered offenders through The State Hospital, Carstairs.  I have held research assistant positions at Acadia University, the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, Dalhousie University and most recently the University of Edinburgh helping update the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services MATRIX. My research interests include neuropsychology, mentally disordered offenders, forensic psychology, longitudinal methodology and developmental psychopathology. 

Supervisors: Dr Stella Chan (Lead) & Dr Heather Whalley

I graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2014 with an MA in Psychology. My research interests include psychopathology and mental health, particularly during adolescence. I began my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2014 investigating cognitive and biological features of low mood in adolescence, aiming to characterise individuals with subclinical levels of depression by their cognitive and biological profiles.

Supervisors: Dr Jo Williams (Lead) & Dr Emily Taylor

Graduated from Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Athens) in 2011 and joined the University of Edinburgh for my MSc degree in 2011-12.  I began my PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2013 examining children and adolescents’ conceptualisations of depression.  

My research interests include children and young people’s understanding of mental health and illness, mental health stigma and help-seeking.

Supervisors: Prof Matthias Schwannauer (Lead), Dr Ethel Quayle, Dr Bonnie Auyeung, & Dr Elena Gherri

I graduated from the University of Toronto with a BSc (Hons) in psychology in 2013 and from the University of Edinburgh in 2014 with an MSc in clinical developmental psychology. I continued on in Edinburgh, pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology which focuses on the impact of digital technologies on the development of empathy in children. My other research interests include emotions and affective disorders, comorbidity of psychological disorders, moral development, creativity, dynamical systems theory, and topics in psychosomatic medicine.

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