I have experience in research using qualitative (e.g., interviews, focus groups) and quantitative (e.g., cross-sectional, experimental) designs, along with training in SPSS, R and NVivo. I am passionate about Open Science; all of my work is preregistered and I make resources available open-access wherever possible. On this page, you can find summaries of my current and past research projects.
European and National Identities in Ireland: Implications for Children's Social Inclusion
I have worked in the Helping Kids! Lab since early 2021, and commenced my PhD research here in September 2023.
My PhD research focuses on how children's superordinate (i.e., European, national) identities relate to social inclusion in Ireland. I am particularly interested in whether the way that children think about what it means to be Irish/European is associated with the inclusion of minority groups (e.g., immigrants).
I have completed a comprehensive review of the literature in this area, and am currently talking to children in 5th class about what they think it means to be Irish/European. This builds towards developing educational resources promoting more inclusive Irish/European identities.
I have worked in the Helping Kids! Lab since early 2021, and commenced my PhD research here in September 2023.
My PhD research focuses on how children's superordinate (i.e., European, national) identities relate to social inclusion in Ireland. I am particularly interested in whether the way that children think about what it means to be Irish/European is associated with the inclusion of minority groups (e.g., immigrants).
I have completed a comprehensive review of the literature in this area, and am currently talking to children in 5th class about what they think it means to be Irish/European. This builds towards developing educational resources promoting more inclusive Irish/European identities.
Social Inclusion in Ireland: Research for Policy
I am an ad-hoc researcher for Ireland's Think-Tank for Action on Social Change (TASC), who produce policy-relevant research focused on sustaining democracy and reducing inequality. I have contributed to grant applications, policy reports, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and public debates and events, including:
I am an ad-hoc researcher for Ireland's Think-Tank for Action on Social Change (TASC), who produce policy-relevant research focused on sustaining democracy and reducing inequality. I have contributed to grant applications, policy reports, qualitative and quantitative analyses, and public debates and events, including:
- An evaluation of the Roma Employment and Training programme run by Dublin City Community Co-Op.
- Maternal health among migrants (in collaboration with Cairde).
- Integrating community perspectives into the transition to a more environmentally sustainable future.
- Youth mental health in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The impact of Brexit in Northern Ireland.
- The effectiveness of DEIS schools.
- The effects of integrated schooling on peacebuilding and reconciliation in Northern Ireland (in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education).
Developing Evidence-Based Science Communication
Augmented Social Play-belong is an EU Horizon-funded project which aims to develop a smartphone-enabled game which will increase young people's sense of belonging and their awareness of mental health issues. It can be implemented in classrooms across Europe.
I was previously part of the dissemination team. We focused on empirically testing messages to effectively communicate with key stakeholders, combining classic dissemination strategies (e.g., academic publications, conferences) with stakeholder- and youth-focused ones (e.g., social media campaigns, policy briefs and collaborator networks).
Augmented Social Play-belong is an EU Horizon-funded project which aims to develop a smartphone-enabled game which will increase young people's sense of belonging and their awareness of mental health issues. It can be implemented in classrooms across Europe.
I was previously part of the dissemination team. We focused on empirically testing messages to effectively communicate with key stakeholders, combining classic dissemination strategies (e.g., academic publications, conferences) with stakeholder- and youth-focused ones (e.g., social media campaigns, policy briefs and collaborator networks).
The Role of Art in Shaping Attitudes and Reducing Prejudice
I graduated first in my class (Cum Laude/With Distinction) from my Master's in Cultural Psychology in the University of Amsterdam.
For my Master's Thesis, I examined whether viewing films about gay men reduced people's levels of prejudice towards them. This project used an experimental design to explore the role of art and media in shaping laypeople's beliefs and attitudes. This project was conducted under the supervision of Dr Eftychia Stamkou in the Amsterdam Arts and Social Sciences Lab, and I presented our study at the Psychological Society of Ireland's Annual Conference in November 2023.
I graduated first in my class (Cum Laude/With Distinction) from my Master's in Cultural Psychology in the University of Amsterdam.
For my Master's Thesis, I examined whether viewing films about gay men reduced people's levels of prejudice towards them. This project used an experimental design to explore the role of art and media in shaping laypeople's beliefs and attitudes. This project was conducted under the supervision of Dr Eftychia Stamkou in the Amsterdam Arts and Social Sciences Lab, and I presented our study at the Psychological Society of Ireland's Annual Conference in November 2023.
Public Perceptions of Individuals who Experience Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures
I graduated from University College Dublin with a first-class honours BSc in Psychology. My undergraduate thesis was a project collaborating with Dr Phillip Coey in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, under the supervision of Drs Cliódhna O'Connor and Paul D'Alton.
In an experimental design, we investigated whether different ways of telling people about the nature of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures had effects on people's levels of stigma towards individuals who experience these seizures. Our colleagues in Crumlin Hospital can use this evidence to inform how diagnoses of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are delivered.
I graduated from University College Dublin with a first-class honours BSc in Psychology. My undergraduate thesis was a project collaborating with Dr Phillip Coey in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, under the supervision of Drs Cliódhna O'Connor and Paul D'Alton.
In an experimental design, we investigated whether different ways of telling people about the nature of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures had effects on people's levels of stigma towards individuals who experience these seizures. Our colleagues in Crumlin Hospital can use this evidence to inform how diagnoses of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are delivered.