Current Staff and Postgraduate Students
Prof. Sinéad McGilloway is Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Community Research at Maynooth University.
Yvonne Leckey is a Centre Leader and Project Manager on the SALaM Ireland Study.
Dr. Sadhbh Byrne is an Assistant Professor/Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, with research expertise in the area of child and youth mental health, and a particular interest in self-harm and suicide. Her research explores how peers, parents, schools, and healthcare providers can best support young people's mental health.
Dr. Brenda O’Connell is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology with research expertise in positive psychology and wellbeing. Her research explores how positive psychological interventions can be used to optimise individual and community health and wellbeing.
Prof. Philip Hyland is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in the Department of Psychology with research expertise in applying latent variable modelling procedures to study psychological responses to traumatic life events.
Dr Rebecca Maguire (CPsychol.) is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology with research experience in the fields of Health Psychology and Cognitive Science. Rebecca is particularly interested in ways of fostering physical and mental health and well-being in those suffering from chronic illness, and their caregivers.
Dr. Joanna McHugh Power is an Assistant Professor in Psychology and Course Director of the MSc in Psychology.Her research area is loneliness and social functioning in later life with a particular interest in formulating definitions of loneliness, understanding its impact on health outcomes such as cognitive ageing and physical health, and evaluating interventions designed to reduce loneliness. She is a member of I-LINK (International Loneliness and Isolation Research Network).
Dr. Nicole M Miller is an Assistant Professor/Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, with research expertise in drug and mental health stigma and Community Psychology using research methods such as photovoice, peer research and participatory evaluation. She is a passionate advocate for social inclusion and assisting community based organisations to fulfill their research strategy.
Dr. Melanie Labor is a researcher on the EU funded SHAPES( Supporting Independence and enhanced quality of life for Europe's ageing population) project, which intends to facilitate active and healthy ageing through a large-scale, EU standardised open platform that will enable the integration of a range of technological, organisational, clinical, educational and social solutions. Melanie was involved in the preparation of the funding application, and is now co-leading the work package " Organisational, Structural and Sociotechnical Factors for the SHAPES Ecosystem".
Dr. Nuala Whelan ( a former IRC PhD scholar) is a Chartered Work and Organisational Psychologist and a part-time post-doctoral researcher in the MU Department of Sociology (working with Dr. Mary Murphy).
Dr Catriona O’Toole is a lecturer in psychology in Maynooth University Department of Education. Her research focuses on childhood adversity and trauma-informed practice in education, school wellbeing and mental health promotion, mindfulness and compassion. Her work also explores how education can contribute to human flourishing and to the creation of peaceful and equitable societies. Click here for more information on Dr. O'Toole's research.
Penny Quinn is an Irish Research Council (IRC) PhD scholar (Enterprise-Based Postgraduate Scheme) who is conducting research on a school-based mental health and well-being intervention called 'The Buddy Bench Aware Programme'.
Mary Maguire is a John Hume PhD scholar.
Shane Owen is a PhD student whose research is exploring non-cognitive and well-being interventions in schools (Principal Supervisor, Prof. Sinéad McGilloway; Co-Supervisor, Dr Jonathan Murphy, Dublin Business School).
Jamie Howell is an MSc student whose research focuses on the expectations and experiences of transition-related health care amongst transgender individuals (Supervisor, Dr. Rebecca Maguire).
Affiliate Members
Dr. Grainne Hickey was formerly the ENRICH Research Programme Manager. She is now the Evaluation and Research Manager at Barnardos Ireland, but continues to collaborate with the CMCHR.
Patrice McCormack is a Research Psychologist on the UNITES project.
Dr. Fiona Flynn joined the Centre in September 2017 as an Irish Research Council Employment-based Scholar to undertake research in social media influence in young adolescents (Principal Supervisor, Prof. Sinéad McGilloway; Co-supervisor, Dr Catriona O’Toole, MU Department of Education).
Dr. Mary Cronin joined the Centre in 2018. Her PhD research focused on how best to support carers’ physical and mental health and well-being within existing community healthcare provision.
Dr. Christine Mulligan was a Doctoral Fellow on the HSE-funded PRIMERA project and is investigating family-focused interventions for parents and their children experiencing mental illness (Principal Supervisor, Prof. Sinéad McGilloway; Co-Supervisor, Dr Mairead Furlong).
Dr. Aiden Carthy is Director of the National Research Centre for Psychology, Education and Emotional Intelligence at the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown. His primary area of research is applied education with a specific focus on using emotional intelligence to help students and educators reach their maximum potential.
Dr. Andy Cochrane is an Affiliate Member of the Centre and a research psychologist/independent research consultant who has been involved in health-related research for over 10 years, with a particular focus on ageing and disability.
After completing his PhD in the CMHCR, Padraic became a research manager in the Health Service Executive (HSE). He also worked as Data Scientist within the Health Intelligence Unit. In July 2019, Padraic took up the role of Research and Policy Manager with Barnardos and more recently, he joined the Centre for Health Policy and Management in Trinity College Dublin, to work on the RESTORE project.
Dr. Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO of St. Cronan's Association, is an Affiliate Member of the Centre and Principal Investigator of the INSPIRE study.