Award success for public engagement
A University researcher has been honoured for outstanding outreach work in the field of mental health.
Dr Stella Chan of the School of Health in Social Science has won the British Psychological Society Public Engagement and Media Award.
Prestigious award
The prize is awarded annually to psychologists engaged in communicating high quality research to the general public by outreach activities and media engagement.
Dr Chan is a Chancellor's Fellow and Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, an honorary Clinical Psychologist at NHS Lothian, and Co-Chair at the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young Academy of Scotland.
Dr Chan’s research specialism is mental health in young people, including vulnerability and resilience to depression. She has also examined how depression can differ across cultures and countries.
Innovative approach
In 2015 she launched Project Soothe which collects and investigates which type of visual imagery makes people feel soothed. The findings will be used for future research and psychotherapy.
In 2016 Dr Chan completed MediaTalent - the University’s innovative and in-depth media training programme to help academics gain a greater foothold in the media.
She has provided expert comment to a range of media including BBC Radio Scotland and The Scotsman.
The panel was particularly impressed with Project Soothe and Stella’s innovative approach to public engagement and children’s mental health.
Dr Chan will be presented with the award in May at the Society’s Annual Conference and, in addition, she is given lifetime membership and Fellowship of the Society.
Related links
School of Health and Social Sciences