I'm passionate about using research as a tool to highlight and address health issues that disproportionately affect marginalised communities and are often overlooked. Evidence is an important resource for advocacy to reduce health inequalities and promote health equity. I am committed to designing and conducting research together with communities, community organisations, healthcare practitioners, and policymakers to produce evidence that can be helpful in this way.

Much of my research focuses on experiences of health and wellbeing in LGBT+ communities. I am interested in challenging the narratives of risk and vulnerability that are often perpetuated in relation to our communities by mainstream medical and psychological research.

I use a range of qualitative and quantitative methods in my work. For example, I have collaborated on introducing new quantitative methods, such as network meta-analysis and recurrence network analysis, to health psychology from other fields and I have recently been appointed co-editor for the highly successful Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology, along with esteemed editors, Prof Carla Willig and Prof Wendy Stainton-Rogers.

Fortunately, I have been awarded over €1,000,000 in funding from funders such as the Health Research Board and the Irish Research Council and in 2023, I received the European Health Psychology Society Early Career Award.

Beyond academia, I serve as a board member for the National LGBTQ+ Federation and the Professional Association for Trans Health in Ireland. These roles have offered further opportunities to influence policy and practice. For example, I was part of the implementation committee for Ireland’s first National LGBTI Inclusion Strategy.

LGBT+ Health; Sexual Health; Health Inequalities

Research Methods, Community Psychology, Health Psychology,Sexualities