Eleanor Caldwell
Research Trainee
Profile
Biography
Eleanor is a researcher with experience across mental health, wellbeing, and social care research in academic and third-sector settings. Eleanor’s work has focused on understanding factors that influence young people's wellbeing, including sleep, digital behaviours, suicidal distress, and eating disorders.
As a Research Trainee on the SmartSleep Project at the University of York, Eleanor will contribute to research examining the impact of smartphone restriction policies on young people's sleep, wellbeing, and mental health. Previously, she has worked as a Research Assistant on the Inertia Study, investigating sleep and young people's experiences, and at York St John University on projects exploring eating disorders and domestic abuse during the postnatal period.
Eleanor has also contributed to research at the University of Cambridge and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, supporting projects on young people's experiences of suicidal distress and digital media interventions. Alongside these research roles, she worked as a Peer Support Worker at York Mind and held community-focused roles at Kyra Women's Project, strengthening her understanding of mental health support and service provision, both on a grass-root and national level.
Across these roles, she has developed expertise in co-production, participant engagement, qualitative and quantitative methods, and conducting research on sensitive topics affecting sleep, mental health and wellbeing.
Study
- MSci in Psychology - University of York (2020 - 2024)
Career
- Research Trainee, SmartSleep Project, University of York (May 2026 - Present)
- Peer Support Worker, York Mind (Jan 2026 - Jun 2026)
- Graduate Research Assistant, Domestic abuse during the postnatal period, York St John University in collaboration with Kyra Women’s Project (Nov 2025- Jul 2026)
- Research Assistant, Inertia Study, University of York (May - Dec 2025)
- Volunteer Coordinator, Kyra Women’s Project (non-profit) (Jul 2025- Mar 2026)
- ICHI funded Research Assistant, York St John University (Jan - Aug 2025)
- Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of York (Sep 2024- May 2026)
- Fundraising Partnership Officer, Kyra Women’s Project (non-profit) (Jul 2024- Jun 2025)
- Research Assistant, Review on young people’s experiences of suicidal distress, University of Cambridge (Aug 2024- July 2025) (Volunteer)
- Research Assistant, Scooping Review on digital media interventions for young people, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Sep 2024- July 2025) (Volunteer)
- Research Assistant, interoception during pregnancy, University of York (May - October 2024)
Research
Overview
SmartSleep project.
Research group(s)
- Sleep, Language and Memory Lab (SLAM)
- Mind and Body Lab
Collaborators
- Professor Lisa Henderson
- Dr Harry Bennett
- Emily Hayward
- Dr Emma Sullivan
- Dr Beth Bell
Publications
Selected publications
Caldwell, E., McKenzie, K., & Preston, C. (under review).“It's just feeding your baby”: A qualitative exploration of pressure, identity, and the embodied experience of infant feeding.
Dihini Pilimatalawwe, Tessa Morgan, Nicole Marshall, Yiwen Li, Prashanti Sen, Yubing Xu, Tania Davies, Adele Melia, Eleanor Caldwell, Francesca Crozier-Roche, Taliah Drayak, Barry Coughlan, Cassandra Dawson, Sophie Lawrence. A systematic review of macro structural factors in young people's experiences of self-harm and suicide. PROSPERO 2025 CRD420251030441.
