Research team
The CONNECT research team is based at six different universities across the UK and involves the McPin Foundation. Find out more about the people working on the study at each site.
Sandra Bucci
As Chief Investigator for the CONNECT Study, Professor Bucci is responsible for the overall delivery of the project to time and budget.
Glen Martin
Glen works as a Senior Lecturer in Health Data Science at The University of Manchester. His research focuses on the statistical methodology of developing risk prediction models, and the application of such methods to healthcare.
He is involved in the statistical team on CONNECT, which is responsible for developing the relapse prediction model. When not doing statistics, he has a love of aviation, swimming and piano.
Pauline Whelan
Pauline has led the Digital Health Software team at the Centre for Health Informatics for many years. She is leading on the software development of the CONNECT data collection platform.
Emily Eisner
Emily is a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Manchester working on a range of digital mental health research studies.
She is particularly interested in prediction of relapse in psychosis, and in what makes people more or less likely to engage with digital mental health tools.
Emily loves Manchester for its wide range of music gigs and proximity of the Peak District.
Gillian Haddock
Gillian is a Professor of Clinical Psychology with special interest in understanding psychosis and developing new psychological treatments for people with severe mental health problems.
Mike Bartlett
Mike is a Quality Manager in the University’s Digital Health Software Team, assisting the project in ensuring the safety of the CONNECT system through the application of clinical risk management.
He specialises in the regulatory journey for the development of health IT systems, including those classified as medical devices.
Shôn Lewis
Shôn Lewis is Professor of Adult Psychiatry in Manchester, co-inventor of the ClinTouch app and co-founder of CareLoop Health Ltd.
Richard Drake
Richard Drake is a psychiatrist in Manchester who has looked at different ways of using smartphones to improve communication between service users and staff in clinical services. He has also studied how symptoms change over time.
He is not a morning person and likes food more than is good for him.
Gilson Tam
Gilson is Junior Technical Project Officer in Digital Health Software team at the Centre for Health Informatics.
He does quality assurance and technical support for digital health mobile apps/websites in Digital Health Software team. He is doing coordination and system testing on CONNECT.
Simon Foster
Simon is a user experience designer on the Digital Health Software Team at University of Manchester.
His prior experience has predominately been working in the private sector, working for a wide range of companies and organisations across a variety of different industry sectors.
He has a passion for co-designing user friendly digital services that focus on accessibility.
Henry Tranter
Henry is a software engineer in the Digital Health Software team and is one of the developers responsible for the development of the CONNECT mobile application.
Hannah Ball
Hannah is a Research Clinical Psychologist interested in understanding the implementation of novel interventions in clinical services.
She is passionate about working with people who experience psychosis and about equitable access to psychological interventions in secondary mental healthcare.
Jindrich Gorner
Jindrich is a software engineer who will be working on the CONNECT mobile app.
Prior to this, he has worked on various other mental-health focused projects and also worked in the sports performance management industry.
Jane Lees
Jane is the Project Manager for CONNECT, making sure all aspects of the study are running correctly and on time at all the different sites.
In her spare time, she enjoys Nordic Walking, and supporting her local football team, but that’s sometimes more like a punishment.
Matthew Sperrin
Matt is a statistician at the University of Manchester. He develops methods for building models that support better decisions in health and medicine.
Sian Bladon
Siân is a postdoctoral research associate in medical statistics at The University of Manchester. She will be working on the statistical aspects of the CONNECT study.
Outside of work she enjoys cycling and long walks with her dog.
John Ainsworth
As Professor of Health Informatics, John is responsible for the data engineering and technical delivery of the project.
Anna Webster
Anna is the Project Manager who supports the running of the CONNECT study including developing strategies for Team Science, communications and engagement.
Anuoluwapo Oluwatayo
Anu is a Research Assistant based in the CONNECT Manchester team. She has previously worked in research on society and social care. She also has patient facing experience in psychosis as she has worked in a rehabilitation service in the past.
Jiawen Zhou
Jiawen is one of the Research Software Engineers at the University of Manchester working on both the iOS and Android app for CONNECT. She is responsible for the front-end and back-end development of the app, including generating automatically running software testing and manually testing work on real devices.
Lizzy Barlow
Lizzy is a research assistant based in the CONNECT Manchester team. She is passionate about the use of lived experience in mental health research and about increasing access to support for people who experience psychosis.
In her free time Lizzy enjoys reading, listening to podcasts and going for long walks.
Fritz Handerer
Fritz is the research coordinator for Manchester. Before joining the team, Fritz completed a PhD on documenting the social determinants of mental health in clinical records. He has a particular interest in exploring ways of addressing social inequalities in mental health.
King’s College London
Til Wykes
Til is professor of Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation and responsible for managing the CONNECT recruitment site at King’s College London.
She is a Dame, carries out treatment development, and founded a unit at King’s that employs expert researchers who have experience of using mental health services.
Matteo Cella
Matteo is an academic clinical psychologist and Reader in Clinical Psychology at King’s College London.
He has an interest in the development and evaluation of psychological interventions and the use of digital technologies to improve recovery and well-being in people with psychosis.
Uzma Zahid
Uzma is the Kings College London Site Coordinator and has a particular interest in early intervention in psychosis.
She likes art house cinema and low brow YouTube videos, and has an irrational fear of public profiles.
Richard Emsley
Richard is an NIHR Research Professor and a statistician and methodologist who works on clinical trials and observational studies in mental health.
Lois Parri
Lois is a Research Assistant based in the CONNECT London team. She has a variety of professional interests and supports ongoing initiatives relating to digital therapies, lived experience involvement, and alternative dissemination.
Robin Lau
Robin is a Research Assistant based in the CONNECT London team. He has several research interests including psychosis, quantitative genetics, and children’s mental health. In his free time, he enjoys indoor gardening and baking.
University of Glasgow
Andrew Gumley
Andrew is an academic clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychological Therapy in the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow.
Andrew is interested in fear of recurrence in people with psychosis, and in developing and testing interventions to promote relapse prevention and recovery. Andrew is responsible for managing the CONNECT recruitment site at The University of Glasgow.
In his spare time, Andrew has an incompatible love of cycling and wine. Never at the same time.
Leonie Richardson
Leonie is a Research Assistant based in the CONNECT Glasgow team, whose interests include trauma, adversity, and trauma-informed approaches to health, social and mental healthcare. Her favourite weekend activities include nature walks and cooking with friends and family while listening to 60s tunes.
Louise Beattie
Louise is the Research Co-ordinator for the Glasgow site. She has previously worked on a range of clinical studies and trials, and has a PhD in psychology. Her research includes sleep disturbances, and early psychosis.
Beth McCulloch
Beth is a Research Assistant based in the CONNECT Glasgow team, who previously worked as an Assistant Psychologist in GGC. She is passionate about improving access, early intervention and the involvement of lived experience.
In her free time, Beth enjoys hosting quiz nights with her friends (so she knows the answers) and climbing a “wee” Scottish hill.
University of Edinburgh
Matthias Schwannaeur
Matthias is a developmental clinical psychologist with an interest in the genesis, adaptation to and recovery from severe mental health conditions, particularly psychosis.
He is motivated to improve clinical care models of recovery, co-construction of care and the use of a contextual understanding of staying well. Matthias is responsible for managing the CONNECT recruitment site at the University of Edinburgh.
Natalie Chalmers
Natalie is a Research Coordinator at the University of Edinburgh interested in psychosis and interventions.
She is passionate about improving healthcare and reducing health inequalities.
Laura Maclean
Laura is a Research Coordinator at the University of E
dinburgh interested in digital approaches to psychosis, as well as the role developmental factors play in mental health.
Jen Ward
Jen is a Research Assistant based in the CONNECT Edinburgh team. She holds an MSc in Psychology of Mental Health at the University of Edinburgh. She has recently worked as an Assistant Psychologist for NHS Lothian. She is from Ireland and has been living in Edinburgh since 2019.
University of Sussex
Kathryn Greenwood
Kathy is responsible for managing the CONNECT recruitment site at Sussex. 
Sybil Clifford
Sybil is a Research Co-ordinator for CONNECT at the University of Sussex, with a keen interest in developing safe and effective healthcare technology.
With a background in international research funding and health tech start-ups, she is passionate about conducting research that translates to real-world outcomes for people with psychosis.
Joseph Sherborne
Joe is a Senior Research Assistant based in the CONNECT Sussex team. He will be involved in recruiting participants, conducting follow-up assessments, and supporting participants’ journey through research. In his spare time, he enjoys running, woodworking, and caring for many houseplants.
Alice Warner
Alice is a Senior Research Assistant based in the CONNECT Sussex team. She has clinical experience working in acute settings with people with psychosis and is interested in clinical interventions that improve outcomes. Outside of work, she likes going on long countryside walks with her miniature dachshund Cleo.
Ellie Robson
Ellie is a Research Coordinator for CONNECT at the University of Sussex. Passionate about improving the reach of mental health care, her research focuses on engagement with psychosis services and the clinical implication of digital intervention.
Cardiff University
Kimberley Kendall
Kimberley is an academic psychiatrist with a special interest in psychosis and genetics. She works in the Wales Health Boards helping to recruit for CONNECT.
She enjoys baking and is frequently told that she is “very Welsh”.
View Kimberley’s research profile
James Walters
James is an academic psychiatrist, professor of psychiatry and Director of the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics at Cardiff University.
His research aims to identify risk factors for psychosis and understand how these operate to develop better diagnoses and treatments.
James is responsible for managing the CONNECT recruitment site at Cardiff and will fulfil national stereotypes by bringing Welsh cakes, cawl and close harmony singing.
Sandapa Punchihewa
Eden Cronin
Eden is a Research Assistant based in the CONNECT Cardiff Team. She has previously worked as an Assistant Psychologist in a neurodevelopmental team and has a master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Her interests include forensic psychiatry, trauma and catatonia. In her spare time, Eden enjoys running, listening to podcasts and socialising.
Eloise Bagg
Eloise is a Research Assistant in the CONNECT Cardiff Team. She has previously worked as a CAMHS assistant psychologist and a recovery navigator in a community rehabilitation team.
Her research and clinical interests include autism, trauma, and systemic approaches to mental health. In her spare time, Eloise enjoys a pub quiz, and building new creations on the pottery wheel.
McPin Foundation
Annabel Walsh
With a background in psychiatric research, including digital mental health, and driven by her own lived experience, Annie will lead lived experience involvement in the CONNECT study.
Alex Kenny
Alex is a Senior Public Involvement in Research Officer at the McPin Foundation.
She is passionate about the use of lived experience in research and the use of digital technology to improve mental health care provision.
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