Kirsty is a postdoctoral research associate holding a PhD from the Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge. Her primary research focus lies in comprehending the mechanisms underlying mood, anxiety, and stress-related disorders across the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on adolescents susceptible to developing depression. Previously, she worked on a substantial longitudinal randomised controlled trial (RCT) in schools, involving over 500 adolescents aged 12-16 years old. Kirsty plans to leverage her knowledge and expertise to develop innovative clinical and educational interventions.

In her current role at KCL (Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry), Kirsty will investigate when depressive symptoms begin to occur in a neurodiverse population of adolescents through a longitudinal research project called "My Emotions and Me Over Time" (MEMO).

Research interests

• Adolescence
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Executive control
• Emotion Regulation
• Longitudinal research designs
• Mental health
• RCT
• Transdiagnostic approaches

Research Groups

Kirsty is a member of the Regulating Emotions – Strengthening Adolescent Resilience (RE-STAR) team, led by Professor Edmund Songua-Barke. The project aims to understand the role of emotion regulation difficulties in the development of mental health problems in neurodiverse adolescents.

Previously, Kirsty was a part of Professor Tim Dalgleish's Cognition, Emotion, and Mental Health Program (CEMHP) at the MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge. The CEMHP investigated transdiagnostic approaches to understanding the core processes involved in the onset, maintenance, and recovery from affective disorders. During her time with CEMHP, Kirsty worked on the My Resilience in Adolescence (MYRIAD) project, which aimed to investigate whether school-based mindfulness training is an effective, cost-effective, accessible, and scalable way to promote mental health and well-being in adolescence.

Expertise and Public Engagement

• Kirsty has given talks to schools, teachers and students about her research.