JUICE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH UNIT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant for the Youth Mental Health Research Unit
Alexandra Smith is a Research Assistant for the Youth Mental Health Research Unit, also known as JUICE. She is currently working on the IPPACT study, a feasibility study looking at developing a set of prognostic measures and tools for At Risk Mental States (ARMS) to use in the NHS. The study uses routinely collected data and hopes to assess the health economic impact of implementing the IPPACT measures.
Ann Parkes is an integral member of the JUICE team, and her contributions to the research unit have been crucial in its expansion. As the JUICE administrator, Ann has been involved in developing and implementing the unit's administrative systems as it continues to grow. Her role includes providing confidential secretarial and administrative support for a variety of works within JUICE, and she is the first point of contact for all enquiries.
Administration in JUICE is a diverse and exciting role, and Ann is heavily involved in trial processes. She works on multiple trials at any given time, and new trials are added to her workload regularly. Currently, Ann works across a range of research units and trials. Ann finds this aspect of her job particularly intriguing, as it allows her to learn a range of new skills related to clinical trial administration, including learning more about mental health difficulties and effective ways to support people with these difficulties.
In addition to her work across trials, Ann is also responsible for managing the unit's finances, staffing, records, leave entitlements, and all other administrative duties. Ann's commitment to her work at JUICE extends beyond her day-to-day responsibilities. She attends the unit's research days and keeps up to date with the latest developments in research. She is also committed to her personal development and has attended The Recovery Academy Courses and intends to continue seeking out opportunities to develop her clinical trials administration skills and deepen her understanding of research systems.
Prior to joining JUICE, Ann worked in a range of paid and voluntary roles, including volunteering at Derian House Children's Hospice in Chorley, working as an assistant at Bolton's Octagon Theatre with a youth group of 11-18-year-olds, and serving as a mentor at Bolton Lads and Girls Club. These experiences completely changed Ann's outlook on life, and she brings the same dedication and enthusiasm to her work at JUICE.
Outside of work, Ann enjoys spending time with her two grown-up sons and her grandchildren. She also enjoys going on holiday, walking, reading, and socializing with friends. Ann's dedication to her work and commitment to personal development make her an invaluable member of the JUICE team, and her contributions will continue to shape the unit's growth and success in the future.
Crystal Liyadi is a Psychology placement student from The University of Manchester and is primarily working on the Bipolar At Risk (BART) II Trial.
With aspirations of becoming a clinical psychologist, Crystal is driven to seek a range of opportunities. She was a research assistant on a project exploring the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering remote video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting (VIPP). As a co-author, she assisted Dr. Wan in a systematic review on the cultural appropriation of story stem narrative assessment (paper currently under review). Hence, she is familiar with parent-child dynamics, handling confidential data, and conducting literature searches and reviews.
Previously, Crystal completed a short work placement as a primary school teaching assistant. She also volunteered at Migrant Support, an organisation that provides conversational English and writing classes to middle-aged immigrants. Her passion for inclusivity is also reflected through her involvement in "International Expert by Experience," where international students gathered to discuss the common experiences in university and collectively produced additional guidance in the Academic Advisor handbook and training at the University of Manchester. As an ethnic minority, Crystal hopes to be part of the EDI and PPI Inclusivity projects to promote more culturally adapted research.
Crystal is currently volunteering at Alzheimer's Society where she offers weekly calls to her clients to maintain their social engagement. Her previous experiences have sharpened her resilience, flexibility, time management, interpersonal skills and meticulousness.
Heather Law studied for a degree in psychology at The University of Manchester before moving to work at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust in 2007. To begin with, Heather worked as a research assistant in the child and adolescent services in Prestwich mainly on studies looking at assessment and care pathways for young people in contact with the criminal justice system. Heather really enjoyed working with young people, so went on to work as an assistant psychologist with the same group of young people.
Heather came to work at The Psychosis Research Unit in 2010 as coordinator for a large research programme about understanding recovery in psychosis and bipolar disorder. Being involved in this project was a positive experience for Heather and the topic of recovery was something that felt worthwhile. The recovery Research Programme has now been published and you can read more about it HERE. Whilst coordinating this research programme Heather also studied for a PhD with Tony Morrison as her supervisor. Her thesis was completed in 2014 and was also on the topic of understanding recovery in psychosis, so it complemented the day job! Heather has successfully published several studies conducted during her PhD and these can be found on her Researchgate Profile.
Heather has also had lots of opportunities to share her work via publications including book chapters and journal articles. More recently in her spare time Heather has worked with colleagues from child and adolescent services to write an edited book called ‘Young People in Forensic Mental Health Settings: Psychological Thinking and Practice'.
Currently Heather is a project manager at the Youth Mental Health Research Unit (JUICE) and is working on several different studies, including Motiv8 and IPPACT.
Dr Lydia Pearson first started working for The Psychosis Research Unit as a research assistant and has contributed to a number of National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) funded trials. These include the Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) funded feasibility bipolar trials: Thinking Effectively About Mood Swings TEAMS and the Bipolar At Risk Trial (BART). These mood disorder focused trials led Lydia to complete a PhD at The University of Manchester, focusing on appraisals of sleep endorsed by those who experience reduced need for sleep, hypersomnia, and insomnia (see publications below for further information).
Job Titles:
- Research Fellow / Trial Manager
Dr Rebekah Carney is a Research Fellow / Trial Manager at the Youth Mental Health Research Unit based in Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and an honorary Research Associate at The University of Manchester. Rebekah is passionate about reducing the disproportionate physical health problems of people with mental health diagnoses and using lifestyle interventions to promote physical and mental wellbeing.
Rebekah completed her Psychology Degree in The University of Liverpool, and MSc in Cognitive Brain Imaging for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience at University of Manchester. Following this she embarked on a career in research, starting with an assistant psychologist post on a study of exercise for early psychosis at The Psychosis Research Unit in 2013. Rebekah was awarded a PhD in 2017 looking at the physical health of young people at-risk for developing psychosis, with Professor Alison Yung at The University of Manchester. (This was one of the first PhDs in the faculty to be awarded outright requiring no corrections and was cited in the NICE guidelines!
Since then Rebekah has embarked on a career dedicated to promoting physical health in mental health services. Rebekah is part of a wide network of collaborators in the UK, Australia and around the world which includes organisations such as Emerging Minds (UKRI), Closing the Gap (UKRI), and Orygen (Melbourne), KBIM (New South Wales). This has resulted in an extensive publication record of over 40 high-impact papers in prestigious journals, including recently co-authoring a Lancet Psychiatry Commission to form a blueprint for protecting the physical health of people with mental health conditions. Rebekah has also published four chapters in international textbooks on various topics of lifestyle psychiatry for mental health.
Since joining the Youth Mental Health Research Unit, Rebekah has been the successful recipient of 2 competitive NIHR funded studies; Motiv8, which is an RCT of a weight management intervention for people in secure inpatient services, and a multisite physical health monitoring study for inpatient CAMHS (Y-Health) with ARC Greater Manchester and ARC Yorkshire &Humber: ARC stands for Applied Health and Social Care Research for England.
Rebekah is involved with several smaller studies in the areas of physical health promotion, digital health innovation, inpatient care, early intervention, health care provision in CAMHS and research in forensic services. As well as this, Rebekah also collaborates with colleagues on a large NIHR cohort study IPPACT which seeks to improve the prediction of psychosis in people with an at-risk mental state, led by Dr Filippo Varese & Professor Sophie Parker
As well as actively conducting research, Rebekah enjoys contributing to academia in numerous ways; including conducting PhD Viva examinations, providing guest seminars as an expert speaker, contributing to national and international conferences, and reviewing international grant applications.
Rebekah's professional interests very much align with her personal life! She is passionate about nature, has a love of the outdoors and being active, and can often be found up a mountain, or on a long walk with her dog!
Elizabeth Kimber is a Research Assistant based in Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Lizzie currently works on the study Motiv8, a randomised feasibility trial aiming to improve the physical health of patients who use forensic services.
Lizzie graduated from Northumbria University with a BSc Honours degree in Psychology in 2014. Whilst completing her degree Lizzie worked part-time as a domiciliary carer. Lizzie found this work incredibly rewarding and gained a real insight into complex presentations of various disorders.
In 2015 Elizabeth Kimber lived and worked in Australia for a year before undertaking a 12-week graduate mental health volunteer placement in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka she worked across community, inpatient, custodial and educational settings with children, adolescents, adults and elderly individuals. This experience widened Lizzie's understanding into culturally informed mental health treatment and strengthened her skills in working with language and communication barriers.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Clinical Research
Emma De Paola is the Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner for JUICE, the Youth Mental Health Research Unit, and C-TRU, the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, providing assistance to teams conducting research into a range of psychological conditions including psychosis and bipolar disorder. She joined GMMH with the aim to work on projects providing support to those with mental health disorders, whilst working towards improving NHS services more generally.
Emma graduated from The University of Leeds with a BSc honours degree in Psychology in July 2022, and found an interest into neurocognitive research whilst conducting her own major project into geographical, racial and economic biases across EEG studies. She also finds interest in developmental and educational psychology, particularly the effect of learning disorders on childhood language acquisition.
Throughout her time at university, Emma undertook a part time role as a primary and secondary school tutor for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. She found this extremely rewarding work, as well as interesting to see first-hand some of the relationship between social and economic deprivation, and classroom performance.
A major part of Emma's passion lies in LGBT+ advocacy, taking on the role of President of The University of Leeds LGBT+ Society in her final year of university, responsible for over 200 society members. The year was a great success and led to the award of Best Welfare Society at the University. This experience cemented Emma's passion in this area, and she hopes one day to be able to incorporate this into psychology work and delve deeper into the relationship between mental health and experiences of LGBT+ injustices.
Ultimately, Emma hopes to pursue the Clinical Psychology Doctorate, but for now is enjoying the breadth of experience across clinical and research settings that the ACRP role provides. She has a passion for travelling, and enjoys going to music gigs, theatre, and comedy shows with friends.
Lauren Cox started her academic career by initially studying for a BA (Hons) in Philosophy and Literature at The University of Liverpool. However, her course took a change after discovering her father had taken his own life whilst experiencing psychosis. This catalysed a yearning to improve NHS services for those people at risk of developing severe mental health problems.
Lauren went on to complete a BA (Hons) (1st class) in mental health nursing and worked on acute male inpatient wards in and around Merseyside. During this time, Lauren took a proactive role in implementing carer support for service users at risk of suicide and worked within secondary community mental health services. Lauren subsequently went on to complete a MSc in Cognitive behavioural therapy for complex cases at The University of Salford in order to improve people's mental health with a keen focus on treating psychosis. During this time she published a paper on Using cognitive behaviour therapy techniques with people who hold delusional beliefs
Lauren Cox then went on to publish A qualitative systematic review of Early Intervention in Psychosis service user perspectives regarding valued aspects of treatment with a focus on cognitive behavioural therapy www.cambridge.org which furthered her interests in supporting people in the at risk group. Lauren was asked to write a popular paper on the Use of individual formulation in mental health practice www.rcni.com, a theme underpinning Lauren's current work.
Leah Charlton, a recent addition to JUICE the Youth Mental Health Research Unit team, is currently working as a research assistant on the Y- Health research project. Her focus is to understand the physical health of young people admitted to inpatient units. With her BSc in Applied Psychology from Liverpool John Moores University and MSc in Forensic Psychology from Manchester Metropolitan University, Leah brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the project.
Leah's interest in mental health disorders, addictive behaviours, and forensic psychology was sparked during her undergraduate studies. Her passion for the field grew as she completed her master's degree and took on a role as an engagement worker at the Youth Justice Service at Positive Steps. Her work with youth offenders allowed her to provide a strengths-based approach that supported them in completing their out of court orders and improving their overall quality of life.
In addition to her professional work, Leah also has a strong commitment to volunteering. She has previously volunteered as a mentor on the getting out for good project (GOFG) at Positive Steps. The GOFG project is a research project aimed at making positive changes and improving the confidence of girls and young women who are at risk of exploitation. Leah's experience at Positive Steps sparked her desire to provide early interventions and support for young people.
Leah's passion for improving services and outcomes for vulnerable people is evident in her work and aspirations. She hopes to gain more knowledge in the research field and become a qualified clinical/forensic psychologist soon.
Her diverse range of interests and commitment to her work makes her an asset to the JUICE team. With her expertise and dedication, Leah is sure to make significant contributions to the our collaboration with ARC Greater Manchester and the field of youth mental health research.
In her free time, Leah enjoys cooking, reading, spending time with her friends, and going on holidays.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Clinical Research
Lewis Fry is the Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner for the Youth Mental Health Research Unit (YMHRU- also known as Juice) and the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit (C-TRU). He is keen to support service users to get involved in research that brings about real change, making NHS services better for everyone who uses them.
Lewis completed his undergraduate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology at The University of Manchester. After gaining initial research experience in the cognitive neuroscience of memory, Lewis began working as a Housing Support Worker for ex-offenders, which made evident the difficult life circumstances that many people with mental health problems can face, especially for those who find it difficult to access support.
Having solidified his interest in mental health, Lewis moved to work on a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit in Salford as a Nursing Assistant. In this role he was introduced to the experiences and challenges faced by people in inpatient wards and is now keen to increase access to psychological interventions in these settings. He is also interested in what recovery means for service users and how to improve the experiences of people admitted to inpatient settings.
In his previous role, Lewis was responsible for increasing recruitment onto YMHRU studies by engaging with both service users and clinical teams. This included working on the IPPACT project (a study that aims to improve prediction of psychosis in people assessed as having an At Risk Mental State), Motiv8 (a trial of a physical health intervention in secure forensic settings) and a study monitoring the physical health of young inpatients at Junction 17 (Y-Health). Lewis was drawn to these projects as they all focus on groups of service users who have often had fewer opportunities to participate in research.
Lewis is now solely focussed as a research assistant on BART II trial, a study aimed at investigating the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) compared to treatment as usual for young people who are at-risk of developing bipolar disorder. This ties in with Lewis' passion for providing service users with access to high-quality research aimed at helping shape better services for young people.
In his spare time Lewis enjoys a good pub quiz, playing the drums and camping with his friends.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant in the Youth Mental Health Research Unit
Lucy Page is a Research Assistant in the Youth Mental Health Research Unit and Mental Health Nursing Research Unit. Lucy is currently working on two research projects. The first is looking at broadening access to CAMHS in Greater Manchester, and the second is the SPARCS study which is looking at alternatives to restrictive practices for children and young people who self-harm.
Prior to her current role, Lucy worked in various roles in the field of psychology and mental health. Lucy graduated from The University of Manchester with a BSc Honours degree in Psychology in 2016. After graduating, Lucy volunteered at Citizens Advice at Manchester Crown Court, where she supported witness and victims of crime when they came into court to give evidence. Lucy found this role extremely rewarding and gained valuable skills and experience supporting people through immensely difficult periods in their lives.
Lucy then went on to complete her master's degree in Forensic Psychology and Mental Health, also at The University of Manchester. Lucy's dissertation focussed on successful desistance from crime in ex-offenders and was presented at the Division of Forensic Psychology conference.
Following her master's, Lucy gained experience as a Therapy Care Assistant on inpatient mental health wards, working on both a Psychiatric Inpatient Care Unit and a specialist unit for females with a diagnosis of Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. Lucy enjoyed supporting people to make positive steps towards improving their mental health, and this role solidified her passion for working in this area.
Lucy has also gained experience working as an Assistant Psychologist, working with adolescent females with experience of child sexual exploitation. Here, Lucy gained experience of working therapeutically on a 1:1 basis with young people and enjoyed working in this way supporting individuals on their pathway to recovery and dealing with the traumatic experiences they had faced as children.
Aside from work, Lucy enjoys eating out, baking and focussing on her physical fitness; she loves getting out for long walks and attending the gym for spinning classes with her friend.
Maryam Bashir is a dedicated and experienced researcher in the field of mental health. She recently joined the Youth Mental Health Research Unit as a research assistant for the BART II trial, a study aimed at investigating the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) compared to treatment as usual for young people who are at-risk of developing bipolar disorder. Maryam is particularly focused on promoting inclusivity within the trial, ensuring that participants from diverse backgrounds and experiences are represented and have access to high-quality research.
Maryam Bashir's journey in mental health research started with her undergraduate degree in psychology at The University of Manchester. During her placement year at The Sussex Partnership Trust, she worked with individuals who had long-term, treatment-resistant mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder and depression.
Maryam was responsible for assisting with assessments and formulations. She has also been involved in conducting various research activities, including participant recruitment, data collection, analysis, and a systematic review.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Maryam Bashir went on to earn her MSc in Mental Health Studies from King's College London. In her master's degree, she focused on social and community mental health and at-risk mental states, reflecting her passion for early intervention and addressing mental health inequalities.
As part of her degree, she completed a placement at The Lambeth Home Treatment Team at South London and Maudsley Trust, where she assisted with assessments and home visits for people from diverse backgrounds who were experiencing a range of mental health difficulties, including psychosis, bipolar spectrum disorders, and at-risk mental states. This experience further reinforced her interest in addressing mental health inequalities and the importance of early intervention.
In addition to her clinical and research interests, Maryam Bashir has also worked for ReachOut, a community voluntary organisation that provides mentoring to children and young people from under-resourced areas. In this role, she delivered structured weekly sessions to build the social and academic confidence of young people, further demonstrating her commitment to promoting mental well-being for this group.
When she's not conducting research or working with young people, Maryam Bashir enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family. Her diverse experiences, combined with her dedication to mental health research, make her an invaluable asset to the BART II trial and the mental health community.
Olivia Harrison joined JUICE the Youth Mental Health Research Unit in June 2021 as a Research Assistant, funded by the Mental Health Research Theme within NIHR Applied Research Collaboration for Greater Manchester. This role involved working on: The Physical Health Monitoring Study (Y-Health) and the CAMHS staff experiences in COVID 19 Study (Evolving CAMHS). The former Study is a feasibility study and the first of its kind. A 6 month prospective study, it measures and analyses the impact of admission to mental health inpatient services on the physical health of adolescents. The latter Study is a qualitative analysis of the unique experience of Tier 3 and 4 health care providers working with young people and their families during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Now working as a research assistant on BART II trial, a study aimed at investigating the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) compared to treatment as usual for young people who are at-risk of developing bipolar disorder. Olivia is working as part of the inclusivity workstream which aims to promote to inclusivity within the trial, ensuring that participants from diverse backgrounds and experiences are represented and have access to high-quality research.
In the early stages of her career, Olivia qualified as a Probation Officer and was employed as an Offender Manager and Women's Lead Officer for 4 years at Stockport Probation Office. It was in this role that her existing interest in gendered studies developed further. Working with both male and female service users, she was drawn to the significance of the role of gender in both their offending and criminogenic/support needs. Olivia was a key contributor in implementing the National Offender Management Services Women's Agenda within Stockport Probation Service, taking the lead in collaboration efforts with local partners and in staff training/development.
The fundamental aim of this agenda is to provide a service to women reflective of their gender-specific needs. Olivia maintains a keen interest in this area and believes that further developments are needed in the Probation Service and mental health services to account for the gender-specific needs of female and male service users.
In 2020, Olivia secured a position as an Assistant Psycholo gist on a women's acute mental health inpatient ward as the next step towards her longstanding aspiration to qualify as a Clinical Psychologist. She found the experience of working on an acute mental health in the middle of a pandemic both challenging and rewarding. She particularly enjoyed being able to utilise her academic knowledge in a clinical context and believes that the learning that she gained in this role was invaluable.
Olivia graduated from The University of Swansea with a BSc (Joint Honours) degree in Psychology and Law in 2013. During her studies she took a particular interest in Forensic Psychology and Attachment Theory, seeing it as a natural progression to complete her MSc in Forensic Psychology at The University of Leicester in 2014. Olivia has also successfully completed the post-graduate Probation Qualification Framework at The University of Portsmouth as part of her training to qualify as a Probation Officer. Olivia is now aiming to undertake the Clinical Psychology Doctorate as the next step to achieving her career ambition.
Olivia enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as playing netball and running half marathons. Olivia has a passion for travel and enjoys learning about different cultures and lifestyles.
Parise Carmichael-Murphy completed a BA (Hons) in Early Years and Childhood Studies in 2014 and an MSc in Psychology (conversion award) in 2017, both at Manchester Metropolitan University. Now, Parise is in the final year of a PhD Education at The University of Manchester; her thesis seeks to understand the social determinants of adolescent boys' mental health and wellbeing in education.
Parise has recently joined the Youth Mental Health Research Unit as a Research Associate / Trial Manager. She is working on Motiv8 - a weight management intervention for forensic inpatient services and Y-Health - a physical health study of young people in inpatient mental health services and is the lead for the inclusivity workstream for BART II
Parise has worked on a nu mber of research projects including to improve the wellbeing and mental health of young people in schools, to understand how teachers support international students in higher education, to explore higher education student experiences of campus security., and to improve access to Clinical Psychology training for underrepresented groups.
Parise has an interest in educational psychology and lifelong learning. She is particularly interested in improving access to support during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. She has worked with children and young people across the 0-25 age range as a room leader for children aged 0-5 in early years settings, a teaching assistant in specialist support secondary school, to promote Learner Voice for young adults with EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans) in a supported learning department of a further education college, and as a youth worker.
Parise is interested in understanding the relationships between mental health and experiences of social inequalities, particularly as they relate to age, gender and race or ethnicity. Parise recently co-authored an open resource for young people called ‘Hidden Histories: Black in Psychology' that celebrates the contributions of Black people to the field of psychology and allied professions.
Outside of work, Parise enjoys listening to music and going to live music gigs.
Professor Sophie Parker is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at GMMH and Director of the Youth Mental Health Research Unit. Sophie completed an undergraduate psychology degree in London and spent the early years of her career working with people with learning disabilities prior to gaining her first role in working with people who experience psychosis. This ignited a passion for working in the field. In particular this experience demonstrated the real need for working with young people and their families as early as possible to prevent some of the more difficult situations people found themselves in when left to wait for a crisis to occur.
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant
- Research Assistant at JUICE
Rimsha Parvaiz is a research assistant who is interested in understanding and addressing the needs of marginalized individuals in society. Her interest in this work stems from her professional and academic journey, which includes experience working in forensic, community, and early intervention settings.
As a Research Assistant at JUICE, Rimsha is currently working on the BART II Trial inclusivity workstream, a randomised controlled trial that investigates the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for individuals meeting bipolar at-risk criteria. Her work is focused on recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups in research to ensure the trial is more inclusive.
Rimsha's interest in mental health research began during her undergraduate studies at The University of Huddersfield, where she completed a degree in Psychology. During her time at university, Rimsha developed an interest in forensic psychology, psychosis, and childhood development. After completing her degree, she gained experience as a support worker in a variety of inpatient forensic settings. This experience gave her valuable insights into how adversities faced during childhood can impact future outcomes.
In 2022, Rimsha completed her MSc in Early Interventions in Psychosis at King's College London. Her research focused on investigating the effects of cannabis use on the psychosis spectrum. As part of her master's, Rimsha completed a placement as an Assistant Psychologist at South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (OASIS), where she provided support to young people struggling with their mental health, specifically psychosis symptoms. Her time at OASIS reinforced her belief in the importance of early intervention for young people at risk of psychosis.
Rimsha's research interests are rooted in improving access to mental health services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and reducing the stigma associated with seeking help. She hopes to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology in the future.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Rimsha enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and listening to music.
Uswah Nasir is a placement student from The University of Manchester, working for the youth mental health research unit (JUICE). She is currently helping on the BART II and BART inclusivity trial. The BART II trial, based on the original ‘Bipolar At-Risk Trial,' focuses on providing help to individuals at risk of developing bipolar. Being from an ethnic minority background, Uswah enjoys helping in the BART inclusivity trial to help make research more inclusive of minority groups.
Apart from her current role at JUICE, Uswah is currently an undergraduate student at The University of Manchester studying BSc Psychology. Prior to her undergraduate studies, Uswah has also volunteered for the Muslim charity Penny Appeal and the charity MINDS. She found these experiences to be extremely insightful and helpful in understanding current world issues and the importance of having community/ help system.
Uswah Nasir has also worked as a social housing research interviewer, a primary school teaching assistant and as a domiciliary care worker and is very passionate about working with people. She found that her previous experiences have helped build many skills from communication, confidence, and ability to work with people of different ages and ethnicities.
For the future, Uswah hopes to gain some clinical experience as an assistant psychologist and will be working towards getting onto the Clinical Psychology Doctorate programme in hopes of eventually being a clinical psychologist. She has had an interest in psychology for a long time and hopes to see others get the help or change they may need and is very keen and enthusiastic to learn and grow through her journey of becoming a clinical psychologist.
Some of Uswah's research interests include EDI work; psychosis; physical health; eating disorders; personalities and social psychology. She also enjoys baking, cooking, spending time with family, crafting and designing henna art.