Grace is a PhD student working on the Armed Services Trauma Rehabilitation Outcome (ADVANCE) study at King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR). She is researching sleep health after sustaining serious physical combat injuries and the impact on mental and physical health in the ADVANCE cohort.

Previously Grace was a study coordinator at the King’s Centre for Military Health Research, working on an OVA funded randomised controlled trial investigating the efficacy of a digital therapeutic intervention for women in the UK Armed Forces who consume alcohol at a harmful level led by Dr Daniel Leightley.

She was a research assistant in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience working on an MRC/MRF funded study, led by Dr Rina Dutta, investigating the impact of social media and smartphone use on self-harm in young people (the 3S-YP study).

Grace has studied at King’s College London for five years. She received her BSc in Psychology with professional placement in 2020 with first class honours. During her professional placement year in 2019, Grace worked as a research assistant on a randomised controlled trial of the short-term effects of OROS-methylphenidate on ADHD symptoms and behavioural outcomes in young male prisoners with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

For her undergraduate dissertation, Grace worked under the supervision of Dr Gemma Gordon and Dr Ulrike Schmitt conducting qualitative interviews of intervention participants’ treatment experience of concurrent Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Approach Bias Modification (ABM) as a treatment adjunct for Binge Eating Disorder.

Following her interest in the criminal justice system and trauma-informed practice, Grace completed an MSc in Clinical Forensic Psychology with first class honours in 2021. Her placements as a student psychologist were based at Ward in the Community and Southwark Community Forensic Team under SLaM NHS Foundation Trust.

Research Interests:

• Military mental health
• Sleep health
• Trauma
• Forensic mental health
• Mixed methods research

Public Engagement & Writing:

• Authored and co-authored blog posts and articles for the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) website, Centre for Military Women’s Research (CMWR) website, and The Mental Elf.
• Delivered oral and poster presentations at national and international conferences, including the UK Psychological Trauma Society Conference and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs Conference, sharing insights on PTSD, digital interventions, and veteran health.

Research & Policy Impact:

Led dissemination of ongoing study findings with military charities and government bodies, ensuring research informs policy and support systems for ex-serving personnel.