I am an Associate Professor in Cognitive Psychology and Psychobiology at Sheffield Hallam University and Co-Lead of the Cochrane Global Ageing Thematic Group, focusing on synthesising global evidence on ageing and social health. My research spans the life course and examines the psychological and social determinants of wellbeing, with particular expertise in persistent loneliness, social connectedness, and mental health. I investigate how loneliness develops and is maintained across structural, societal, relational, and individual levels, and how behavioural, cognitive, and social interventions can reduce its impact across the lifespan. My work integrates cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural science using experimental and psychophysiological methods including EEG/ERP, eye-tracking, virtual reality, and laboratory-based paradigms. This multi-method approach allows me to examine both the subjective and biological mechanisms underlying loneliness, self-referential processes, and mental health outcomes, with a strong emphasis on translation into real-world interventions that reduce stigma and improve wellbeing. I am an internationally recognised researcher in loneliness and mental health, with over 40 peer-reviewed publications, more than 60 conference presentations, and over 15 grants from competitive research funders such as UKRI Innovate UK and the European Commission. 

My research is structured around two main strands:

The first focuses on loneliness, where I have focus on the development of a new multilevel framework conceptualising persistent loneliness as a distinct and enduring psychological and social condition with long-term consequences for depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline with an international stakeholder team. In 2025, I co-led an international workshop at the Lorentz-NIAS Centre in the Netherlands to advance a global framework for persistent loneliness that bridges research, policy, and lived experience.

The second strand focuses on self-disgust as a transdiagnostic emotional construct linked to mental health outcomes. My work has demonstrated its role in mediating relationships between loneliness, depression, insomnia, body image disturbance, and suicidal ideation. A major contribution is the development of the Implicit Self-Disgust Measure (ISDM), the first validated implicit assessment of self-disgust, published in 2025, which advances both theoretical understanding and clinical measurement. My methodological expertise spans experimental cognitive paradigms, psychophysiological measurement, eye-tracking, EEG/ERP, large-scale Delphi studies, and Cochrane-aligned systematic reviews.

I contribute extensively to the research community and I serve on editorial boards I have also co-authored one of the major academic texts in Cognitive Psychology (Pearson, 2025). My work has substantial societal and policy impact. I am Ambassador for the Marmalade Trust a leading charity reducing loneliness stigma globally. I also served as the co-Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness and contributed to national and international policy initiatives. My research has achieved international public engagement through coverage in outlets including CNN, The Conversation, the World Economic Forum, and Psychology Today, and has directly influenced national campaigns such as Loneliness Awareness Week.

With a strong commitment to knowledge exchange and impact, I actively contribute in various roles to leading policy and advocacy groups in the UK and internationally, supporting the translation of research into practical solutions for individuals and communities. 

I am the first appointed College Ethics Lead for Social Sciences and Arts and the Unit of Assessment 4 (Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience) REF Coordinator. I am currently the Ethics Lead for the Institute of Law and Social Sciences.