The Student-Led Research Team
So far...
Conference planning
The SMaRteN Student Team are currently preparing for the SMaRteN Conference, which will take place in Cambridge on 17th December. Each team member will be chairing a different talk or panel, which will cover a wide range of topics within student mental health.
Ongoing projects
One half of the team are currently working on an ethnographic study with Neil Armstrong from the University of Oxford. The project involves conducting a series of one-to-one interviews with students to understand their perspective on student mental health.
The other half of the SMaRteN Student Team are working with Alyson Dodd from Northumbria University. Alyson is supporting the team in reviewing measures of mental health and wellbeing, with the aim of developing a consensus recommendation on suitable measures to assess student mental health and wellbeing in a higher education context.
Conference planning
The SMaRteN Student Team are currently preparing for the SMaRteN Conference, which will take place in Cambridge on 17th December. Each team member will be chairing a different talk or panel, which will cover a wide range of topics within student mental health.
Ongoing projects
One half of the team are currently working on an ethnographic study with Neil Armstrong from the University of Oxford. The project involves conducting a series of one-to-one interviews with students to understand their perspective on student mental health.
The other half of the SMaRteN Student Team are working with Alyson Dodd from Northumbria University. Alyson is supporting the team in reviewing measures of mental health and wellbeing, with the aim of developing a consensus recommendation on suitable measures to assess student mental health and wellbeing in a higher education context.
Get to know the team
Our student team are at the heart of SMaRteN's activities. They plan conferences, award funding, conduct research and, most importantly, they're on an ongoing mission to uncover the questions that students want this country's researchers to answer when it comes to student mental health. Read more about each member of our dedicated and ambitious team below.
Our student team are at the heart of SMaRteN's activities. They plan conferences, award funding, conduct research and, most importantly, they're on an ongoing mission to uncover the questions that students want this country's researchers to answer when it comes to student mental health. Read more about each member of our dedicated and ambitious team below.
Katie Tyrrell
I have just started my PhD at University of Suffolk, to explore how first-year university students may use social networking sites and applications to form and maintain romantic relationships. I have a MSc in Mental Health Research and a BSc in Psychology and currently work in research at the University of Suffolk. I joined the SMaRteN network as I am passionate about reducing the stigma attached to mental ill-health amongst the student population as well as wider society, and as someone who has lived experience, I am aware of some of the challenges faced by those who battle with their mind each day.
Twitter: @katietyrrell99
I have just started my PhD at University of Suffolk, to explore how first-year university students may use social networking sites and applications to form and maintain romantic relationships. I have a MSc in Mental Health Research and a BSc in Psychology and currently work in research at the University of Suffolk. I joined the SMaRteN network as I am passionate about reducing the stigma attached to mental ill-health amongst the student population as well as wider society, and as someone who has lived experience, I am aware of some of the challenges faced by those who battle with their mind each day.
Twitter: @katietyrrell99
Carmen Li
I’m currently an undergraduate student at UCL in the second year of my BSc Psychology degree. I’m especially interested in psychotherapy and psychopathology which is why I’m incredibly excited to partake in SMaRteN as it is a perfect opportunity for me to further develop a vocational experience with the field. I’ve previously assisted in research in Bristol and in Hong Kong about cognitive psychology and specificity in memory of depressive individuals, respectively. In my spare time, I really enjoy exercising, espescially playing hockey, going running and spinning! Growing up in such an international city as Hong Kong has allowed for me to be exposed the cross cultural barriers and stigmas relating to mental health.
Instagram Carmenli7399!
I’m currently an undergraduate student at UCL in the second year of my BSc Psychology degree. I’m especially interested in psychotherapy and psychopathology which is why I’m incredibly excited to partake in SMaRteN as it is a perfect opportunity for me to further develop a vocational experience with the field. I’ve previously assisted in research in Bristol and in Hong Kong about cognitive psychology and specificity in memory of depressive individuals, respectively. In my spare time, I really enjoy exercising, espescially playing hockey, going running and spinning! Growing up in such an international city as Hong Kong has allowed for me to be exposed the cross cultural barriers and stigmas relating to mental health.
Instagram Carmenli7399!
Ethan Johnson I'm in my second year of a Philosophy and Politics degree at University of East Anglia. Struggles with mental health and the maintenance of good well-being is something all students will face, not only during University, but throughout the rest of our lives. Working with students who understand these experiences is the best way to begin improving our situations; looking at what it really means to us to have to endure mental health difficulties, and what we believe is the best way to prevent those younger than us having to do the same. After having had encounters with mental health difficulties myself, and beginning to recognise just how many of my friends, family, and students around me had also had similar experiences following this, I am excited to be part of a team working to find a piece of the puzzle that is student mental health. |
" I have learnt through SMaRteN that there are infinite ways to look at student mental health, and each provides a valuable insight that you may never have considered before. It is therefore important to proceed with an open mind, and continue discussing the subject with as many young people as possible." |
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Sebastien Cygan
I’m Sebastien Cygan, I’m currently studying Computer Science at Newcastle University. After taking a year out to focus on a one year IT course I decided on university and am currently aiming towards completing my integrated masters. In my free time I love to play video games and enjoy going to the gym with friends. I found the network via a Facebook post, and was unsure at first whether to apply, however mental health is something I believe in very largely and want to incorporate into my specialism in University when I study Human Computer Interactions. Twitter: @CyganSebi |
" My highlight of SMaRteN has been meeting people who are just as passionate (or more) about mental health as I am. I’ve met and worked alongside incredible people, all with different backgrounds and stories, and hearing about these on the journey through SMaRteN is something I will carry with me." |
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" I have had the opportunity to direct and be involved in my own project - looking at the ways mental health is measured - and been given the platform to contribute to it and help lead it, in a way you are not typically offered at university." |
Sam Whatnall Hi! My name’s Sam, I’m 20 and I’m a second year Human Sciences student at UCL. I’ve had experience volunteering in a group before, but have never really done any sort of proper research project so I’m excited to rise to this new challenge. The topics involved are very important and I have enjoyed the opportunities I have had to study related subjects during my time at UCL so far. At university I play for the football club, where I am a team captain, and I’m currently starting some volunteering in my spare time as well. I’m really looking forward to this project and hope that I can bring a lot of good qualities to the team. |
Marta Ortega
Hi! My name is Marta, and I am a 2nd year BSc Psychology student at King’s College London. What fascinates me the most currently in psychology is the effect of new technologies, especially social media, in the development of social roles, self-image, and interpersonal relationships. On a broader scope, I am passionate about the arts, and spend much of my free time playing and writing music. I am very involved in student mental health initiatives, including taking part in my university’s well-being team; organizing events to promote wellbeing in health students. I was drawn to this network as it is an opportunity to engage in relevant and important research into the issues that surround my everyday environment and that of people around me, as well as to promote student well-being, and understand the mechanisms towards achieving it.
Instagram: marta.ortegavega
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1183219197
Twitter: @nececity
Tope Mayomi
Like many other young people today, much of my life, and in particular my academic experiences, have been shaped by my experiences of mental health. For this reason, I opted to be a part of a research project, that aims to shift the current conversation surrounding student mental health to one that puts student at the forefront and will hopefully lead to important research that can help positively influence student mental health and impact how universities deal with it. I am currently studying social sciences and in the future would like to pursue criminal justice, looking specifically at the intersect of mental health and the criminal justice system and work to protect those with mental health difficulties in a legal context.
Facebook: Tope Mayomi
Instagram: topemayomi
Like many other young people today, much of my life, and in particular my academic experiences, have been shaped by my experiences of mental health. For this reason, I opted to be a part of a research project, that aims to shift the current conversation surrounding student mental health to one that puts student at the forefront and will hopefully lead to important research that can help positively influence student mental health and impact how universities deal with it. I am currently studying social sciences and in the future would like to pursue criminal justice, looking specifically at the intersect of mental health and the criminal justice system and work to protect those with mental health difficulties in a legal context.
Facebook: Tope Mayomi
Instagram: topemayomi
Rebecca Teague
I am a second year doctoral researcher at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre at Sussex. I am researching the role of PrimPol, a primase/polymerase enzyme with a role in DNA damage tolerance, under the supervision of Professor Aidan Doherty. I completed an MSci degree at the University of Birmingham in Human Biology; my Master’s thesis investigated CatSper activation in human spermatozoa. I'm also a doctoral representative on the U-DOC project at the University of Sussex, which aims to provide a sustainable best practice model for the sector to address the challenge of doctoral researcher mental health.
Twitter: @cupofteague
I am a second year doctoral researcher at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre at Sussex. I am researching the role of PrimPol, a primase/polymerase enzyme with a role in DNA damage tolerance, under the supervision of Professor Aidan Doherty. I completed an MSci degree at the University of Birmingham in Human Biology; my Master’s thesis investigated CatSper activation in human spermatozoa. I'm also a doctoral representative on the U-DOC project at the University of Sussex, which aims to provide a sustainable best practice model for the sector to address the challenge of doctoral researcher mental health.
Twitter: @cupofteague
Ikra Arif
My name is Ikra Arif. I am a 1st year student at University of Leicester, studying Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience. I am an energetic, ambitious person who has developed a mature and responsible approach to every task that I undertake, or situations that I am presented with. I am a person who always strives to achieve the highest standard possible. I like to challenge myself by trying new opportunities and gaining experiences from them. I am a logical thinker who observes and analyses reactions, feedback and then draws conclusion for my Psychology degree.
I have a great passion for different arts and crafts, but specifically I enjoy taking photographs of nature. My skills in photography have developed during my A-level Photography projects, as I began to explore and try new things with my photography, whilst creating work about subjects that I feel strong about, for example I created a project exploring mental illness through photography and how different artist portray mental illness.
My name is Ikra Arif. I am a 1st year student at University of Leicester, studying Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience. I am an energetic, ambitious person who has developed a mature and responsible approach to every task that I undertake, or situations that I am presented with. I am a person who always strives to achieve the highest standard possible. I like to challenge myself by trying new opportunities and gaining experiences from them. I am a logical thinker who observes and analyses reactions, feedback and then draws conclusion for my Psychology degree.
I have a great passion for different arts and crafts, but specifically I enjoy taking photographs of nature. My skills in photography have developed during my A-level Photography projects, as I began to explore and try new things with my photography, whilst creating work about subjects that I feel strong about, for example I created a project exploring mental illness through photography and how different artist portray mental illness.
Rajsi Mehta
I am a BSc Psychology, Clinical and Cognitive Science student studying at Royal Holloway, University of London. As an advocate for supporting mental health issues and an aspiring clinical psychologist, I have been in many situations where I notice and help friends and peers with their mental and physical struggles due to multiple reasons. I want to actively be a part of an initiative that prioritises mental health support for students all over the United Kingdom and helps target causes and reasons why many students face these difficulties, often hindering their further education. I also aim to find ways that universities can better support these students and create initiatives that will be extremely helpful for students with mental health disorders.
I am a BSc Psychology, Clinical and Cognitive Science student studying at Royal Holloway, University of London. As an advocate for supporting mental health issues and an aspiring clinical psychologist, I have been in many situations where I notice and help friends and peers with their mental and physical struggles due to multiple reasons. I want to actively be a part of an initiative that prioritises mental health support for students all over the United Kingdom and helps target causes and reasons why many students face these difficulties, often hindering their further education. I also aim to find ways that universities can better support these students and create initiatives that will be extremely helpful for students with mental health disorders.
Michael Priestley
I’m Michael, I’m a first year PhD student at Durham University researching the higher education policy factors that impact on student mental health and well-being. I dedicate a lot of time to mental health campaigning, awareness and support with different organisations. I was made aware of the SMaRteN network following my involvement with Student Minds as a fundraising champion and blog sub-editor. I wanted to get involved with the student-led research team because I fully subscribe to the ethos and aims of the network; namely, involving and engaging the student voice, improving understanding of the institutional factors that contribute to student distress, and bridging the gap between student mental health research, policy and practice. I am excited and honoured to be part of the team! Twitter: @Michael62189541 Email: michael.j.priestley@durham.ac.uk |
" I have learnt a lot about the current issues and challenges surrounding student mental health research, policy and practice, and the benefits of student co-production and engagement." |
Catherine Newell
I’m in my first year at the University of Sheffield, studying Modern Languages (French, German and Dutch). Outside of my studies, I’m a Brownie leader and also like reading, watching films, travelling, and learning other languages. I had depression as a teenager and then got involved in PPI at the University of Reading, which made me fascinated with psychology research. I'm involved in the network because I think that mental health is really important and want to learn about and contribute to research into it, even while I’m studying something completely different.
Instagram: @cat_r_newell
I’m in my first year at the University of Sheffield, studying Modern Languages (French, German and Dutch). Outside of my studies, I’m a Brownie leader and also like reading, watching films, travelling, and learning other languages. I had depression as a teenager and then got involved in PPI at the University of Reading, which made me fascinated with psychology research. I'm involved in the network because I think that mental health is really important and want to learn about and contribute to research into it, even while I’m studying something completely different.
Instagram: @cat_r_newell