Lived Experience Network for Scholars (LENS)
The Lived Experience Network for Scholars (LENS) is here to support any academic mental health and/or addiction researcher who has lived experience
About us
The Lived Experience Network for Scholars (LENS) is here to support any academic mental health and/or addiction researcher who has lived experience. We were set up with funding from the NIHR Mental Heath Incubator as many mental health and/or addiction researchers have lived experience and would like more support and our network aims to provide it.
The network also provides training including from the McPin Foundation, who have run sessions on navigating disclosure. Our meetings are mostly online. They usually involve one speaker and then splitting up into smaller groups to have discussions. Meeting topics are guided by feedback and thus we deliver tailored career development opportunities.
There is no pressure to disclose your lived experience to be part of our network. We understand the need for privacy and we create a safe and supportive space for meetings. None of our sessions are recorded.
The network is especially relevant to early career researchers, but also will benefit academics at all stages of their research careers to build their resilience and capacity as lived-experience researchers. We hope our network will encourage academic researchers to feel better supported and connected and thus more likely to remain in working in the field.
The network is co-led by Dr Ruth Naughton-Doe (University of York) and Dr Ruth Knight, (York St John University). Due to funding, we are UK-based and meetings are planned for UK times. However, overseas researchers are more than welcome to join us.
To hear about our activities and events, please sign up to the mailing list.
We also post regular updates on BlueSky: @lensmentalhealth.
Contact us
Ruth Naughton-Doe
Postdoctoral Research Fellow/ Research Associate
Contact us
Ruth Naughton-Doe
Postdoctoral Research Fellow/ Research Associate