This research examines mental health and help-seeking among neurodivergent young people. Northern Ireland data reveal substantially higher rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and self-harm, alongside greater online help-seeking. The research evaluates digital mental health support and works directly with young people to develop more accessible, neurodiversity-informed services and guidance.

This research explores whether altering bodily sensations can change emotional experiences. By manipulating perceived heartbeat, blinking, and muscle tension through wearable devices and virtual reality, it demonstrates that emotions can be reshaped without changing physiology, opening new possibilities for treating trauma, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health conditions

This research explores how early-life stress alters the gut microbiome and its communication with the brain, challenging the traditional "leaky gut" theory of anxiety. Using a comprehensive, lifespan-wide approach, it identifies a potential new mechanism that could enable more personalized treatments for patients who do not respond to current anxiety therapies.

This research developed NanoX, a nanoscale fluorescent sensor that images oxytocin release from individual neurons in real time. By revealing patterns of brain chemistry associated with mental health disorders, the technology could enable earlier diagnosis, improve understanding of neurochemical signaling, and support both preventive and personalized mental healthcare.

This thesis examines who turns to AI for mental health support, rather than whether AI can be a therapist. Drawing on TherapyGPT forum analysis and ongoing experiments, the research identifies fear of judgment, trust in AI and past therapist failures as possible drivers of AI therapy use.

This research develops automated tools to identify psychedelic-inspired compounds that restore lost neural connections associated with depression, anxiety, and addiction. Using advanced imaging and custom analysis software, the project screens potential therapeutics that promote neuronal growth, aiming to create treatments that repair brain circuitry rather than simply managing symptoms.

This thesis examined how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect mental health and brain development. Using data from the ABCD Study, the researcher found that ACEs were linked to both mental health symptoms and a thicker prefrontal cortex. The findings suggest the brain may adapt to adversity, highlighting new questions about resilience.

Infertility affects one in six adults and carries profound emotional, psychological, and social burdens often overlooked in medical care. This research evaluates a four-week yoga intervention for individuals undergoing IVF, aiming to reduce anxiety and depression while improving quality of life, addressing the unmet psychosocial needs of those experiencing infertility.

This research examines how keeping secrets in romantic relationships harms well-being. It introduces “fear of discovery,” the anxiety that secrets will be revealed unintentionally. Findings show this fear increases obsessive thinking and reduces relationship and life satisfaction, offering new insight into why secrecy negatively affects mental health.

This research explores how early-life stress alters reward motivation differently in males and females. By identifying sex-specific brain circuits and wiring patterns shaped by early stress, it reveals why individuals respond differently to reward and highlights the need for personalized approaches to mental health treatment.