Academic members and PhD students

Kathryn Asbury

Professor
Email: kathryn.asbury@york.ac.uk

I have two main areas of research.  The first relates to the educational and social experiences of learning disabled and neurodivergent people, and how to ensure that their voices are included in research.  The second is focused on the social, ethical and practical implications of findings from behavioural genetics for educational policy and practice.

Beth Bell

Senior Lecturer
email: beth.bell@york.ac.uk

My research aims to understand and improve youth wellbeing and mental health in the digital age. Adopting a mixed-methods interdisciplinary approach, I examine the risks and opportunities afforded by digital media and technologies. A second strand of my research focuses on digital wellbeing education: how we can foster positive technology use and mental health within and beyond the classroom.

Dusana Dorjee

Senior Lecturer
Email: dusana.dorjee@york.ac.uk

I investigate psychological and neural processes underpinning mental health and wellbeing (called capacities) and work on ‘translating’ new understanding of these capacities into interventions, school curricula and education policy. Building on this research I also investigate possible protective effects of these capacities on child and adolescent mental health in the face of the current global crises.

Cameron Downing

Lecturer
email: cameron.downing@york.ac.uk

My research interests lie in understanding how we learn to read and write, and why some individuals face greater difficulties in these areas. I am particularly keen to apply this knowledge to develop and evaluate effective assessments, instructional methods, and interventions within schools.

Gill Francis

Lecturer
email: gill.francis@york.ac.uk 

My research investigates the role of play in child development and education for typical and neurodivergent children. The aim is to understand the psychology of play, its influence on child development and how play can be leveraged to positively impact educational practices.

Laura Fox

Lecturer
Email: laura.fox@york.ac.uk

My research explores the experiences of neurodivergent children and young people, as well as those with additional learning needs, regarding their social relationships and educational experiences. I am particularly interested in adapting and designing new methods to make research inclusive of those who use different methods to communicate.

Nadia Jessop

Lecturer
email: nadia.jessop@york.ac.uk 

My research examines psychological factors associated with positive youth development and youth violence in school and community contexts. I adopt an interdisciplinary lens to fostering culturally-inclusive learning ecologies, drawing across social, developmental, and applied behavioural psychology.

Nathalie Noret

Senior Lecturer
email: nathalie.noret@york.ac.uk 

My research interests broadly focus on understanding children and young peoples’ experiences of bullying in school. My current research focuses on examining 1) the mechanisms that underpin the relationship between being bullying and poor mental health and 2) the traumatic impact of bullying.

Jelena O’Reilly

Lecturer
email: jelena.oreilly@york.ac.uk

My research focuses on what makes a successful second/foreign language learner. From a language perspective, I explore the learning of morpho-syntax. From a psychological perspective, I investigate how Foreign Language Anxiety, personality and other individual differences contribute to successful language learning.

Elpis Pavlidou

Senior Lecturer
Email: elpis.pavlidou@york.ac.uk

I study developmental dyslexia by looking at behaviour and the brain. I focus on identifying cognitive (e.g. implicit learning) and socio-emotional (e.g. resilience, stereotype threat, and stress) factors that shape literacy outcomes and experiences in children and their families. I am also interested in translational projects relating to standardisation of evidence-based tools and teacher training.

Jessie Shepherd

Associate Lecturer
email: jessie.shepherd@york.ac.uk

My current research focus is dedicated to understanding how characteristics and issues of equity impact high-risk groups. I aim to improve their social and emotional competences and significantly enhance the mental health and well-being of refugees and migrants. 

I’m interested in working with potential PhD students who are interested in how migration impacts social-emotional development or mental health, SEL for high-risk populations, and how characteristics impact the teaching of SEL.

Sophie von Stumm

Professor
Email: sophie.vonstumm@york.ac.uk

My research explores the causes and consequences of individual differences in psychological and behavioural development across the life course. I take a multi-disciplinary approach to observing behaviour and environments, integrating approaches and methods from psychology, education science, and behavioural genetics.

Sarah Wild

Associate Lecturer and Teaching and Research Support Officer
Email: sarah.wild@york.ac.uk

My research interests focus on understanding the impact of a child being bullied on their parents. My current research focuses on the relationship between these experiences and parents’ mental health and wellbeing.

Irena Kuzborska

Senior Lecturer

Email: irena.kuzborska@york.ac.uk 

My research focuses on the teaching and learning of academic reading and writing. I am particularly interested in genre-based approaches and the sociopolitical dimensions of texts as purposeful rhetorical acts shaped by values, roles, and power relations. My additional research interests include teacher identity, especially the development of integrated identity through the lens of Self-Determination Theory, as well as intercultural communication.