My work is at the intersection of social, health and clinical psychology. My current programme of research examines how the physiological and clinical implications of stress and trauma are driven by changes in social connections and resources that occur in the wake of stressful events.  With others, I have studied this in real life sitatuions as well as lab contexts. Most often in the lab we are studying everyday stress and in real world contexts, bigger and much more profound adversity.   All of my work is informed by the social identity approach. This is a perspective that places groups memberships and our collective attributes at the heart of all experiences in life.  These collective attributes or identiies (such as being a runner, a psychologist or European) can allow people to feel connected to some (other runners, psychologists and Europeans) and disconnected from others. This disconnection is particularly likely where identities are relevant and/or resources are affected (for example those who identify as European can feel very distant from those who support Brexit).   Identities, though hugely relevant in everyday life can be invisible because they are background features of life.  This only increases their power to affect behaviour, as they are processes that are all too often not interograted in contemporary psychology.

I am current Advanced Award from the European Research Council. this award has allowed me to develop my reserach over the last 5 years very substanitally.  There is a free to down load book based on this work for those interested in the Social Psychology of Trauma.   

I am a current member of the Irish Medical Council.

I was awarded the 2024 Public Engagement with Research Award by this Council for her work addressing gender-based violence. 

I was a member of the Irish Reserach Council from 2020-2024.

I was elected to membership of the Royal Irish Academy in 2022.

I was the recipient of the Nevitt Sanford Award from International Society of Political Psychology in 2020.

I receieved a John F Kennedy Travel Scholarship in 1996 an award that allowed me to study at the ICPSR Summer Programme on Advanced Research Methods at University of Michigan.

I graduated from Queens with my PhD in 1996 and was awarded the first Praxis Prize for Research at that time.

I graduate from Queens in 1993 and recieved a Foundation Award to support my PhD at that time.