Dr Elizabeth Kirkham (PhD, MSc, BSc(Hons), AFHEA)
Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Patrick Wild Centre
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences
- Edinburgh Medical School
Contact details
- Email: elizabeth.kirkham@ed.ac.uk
Address
- Street
-
Kennedy Tower
Morningside Terrace - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH10 5HF
Background
Dr Elizabeth Kirkham is a psychology researcher with expertise in mental health, affective and cognitive neuroscience, and science communication.
She originally studied for a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at Durham University. During this time she also worked as a research assistant in Criminology, and it was this experience that led her to seek out a career in research.
She later studied for a PhD in Psychology at the University of Sheffield. During this time she won an award for science writing (PubMED and The British Library's Access to Understanding 2014), and subsequently worked as a freelancer writer for eLife alongside her PhD study. Elizabeth's PhD research was focused on early life stress and its impact on how the (human) brain processes emotional information. She investigated this topic using electroencephalography (EEG) and psychological questionnaires.
Dr Kirkham joined The University of Edinburgh in 2018 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate.
Qualifications
PhD Psychology (2017), University of Sheffield.
MSc Cognitive Neuroscience (2011), Durham University.
BSc(Hons) Psychology (2010), Durham University.
Responsibilities & affiliations
Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Research summary
Elizabeth's current work is focused on participatory research and public engagement for the CoMorMent Horizon 2020 project. This collaborative EU project is led by the University of Oslo and focuses on the relationship between mental health and cardiovascular health, and how this relationship may be influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
She is also interested in extending her previous research on the effects of early life stress on the mental health and the adult brain.
-
Early life stress is associated with reduced avoidance of threatening facial expressions
In:
Development and Psychopathology, pp. 1-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S095457941900110X
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published)
Papers delivered
Kirkham, E.J. (2019, May). Attitudes to data sharing in the UK: a comparison of mental and physical health. In S. Chan (Chair) The more we know, the less we fear: the role of public engagement in reducing stigma. Symposium conducted at the meeting of the British Psychological Society, Harrogate, UK.