Meet the pact lab team
Dr dawn branley-bell
PaCT Lab Director & Associate Professor
Dawn is an Associate Professor of Cyberpsychology and a chartered psychologist (cPsychol.). She is also Chair of the British Psychological Society’s Section for Cyberpsychology. Her research interests include remote healthcare, eating disorders, cybersecurity and online behaviour. In addition to directing PaCT Lab, she is Project Lead for the RHED-C (Remote Healthcare for eating disorders throughout COVID-19) and RIICE (Remote Intervention to Improve Chewing Efficiency) projects; and Co-Investigator of the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen-Centred AI. You can find her on X at @TheCyberPsyche!
prof pam briggs
Professor
Pam holds a Chair in Applied Psychology at Northumbria University, she is also a Co-Director of the UK’s Centre for Digital Citizens, a £9m collaboration between the Universities of Newcastle, Northumbria, Edinbugh and UCL, and the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen-Centred AI. Pam’s work primarily addresses issues of identity, trust, privacy and security in new social media, with a particular focus on digital inequality.
dr elizabeth sillence
Associate Professor
Liz is one of the founding members of PaCT lab. She specialises in eHealth and she is currently investigating the trust and privacy issues associated with the technological sharing of personal health data. Liz is also a member of the hoarding research group within the department investigating the cybersecurity issues related to digital hoarding.
Dr richard brown
Research Fellow
Richard recently completed his PhD investigating perceptions of risk and socioeconomic inequalities in health. He now works as a Research Fellow within PaCT exploring a range of public health issues using both quantitative and qualitative methods. He has held fellowships with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, the Alan Turing Institute.
rahul venkatesh
PhD Candidate (Supervisors: Prof Astell & Dr Vijaykumar)
Rahul is a PhD researcher investigating cross-cultural information dissemination about dementia, with a focus on developing conversational AI solutions to support family caregivers. With over eight years of experience across community and laboratory research settings, Rahul specializes in adapting and validating cognitive assessment tools for diverse, underserved populations.
Before joining PaCT Lab, Rahul worked as a Cognitive Psychologist developing gamified interventions to enhance attention, working memory, and facial cognition in workplace settings. He holds an MSc in Dementia Studies from the University of Stirling and an MSc in Neuropsychology from the National Forensic Sciences University (Gold Medalist).
dr kerry lakey
Assistant Professor
Kerry’s research focuses on women’s health (particularly sexual health & information seeking in a digital context) and digital hoarding. Kerry’s most recent research explores menopause apps for personal tracking of symptoms, empowerment and knowledge. Kerry is also exploring how peri-menopausal and menopausal women seek information and knowledge through peer-led social media groups, including seeking sexual health information. Kerry has also published reserach on work-based digital hoarding and personal digital hoarding.
dr claire mcgrogan
Senior Research Assistant
Claire is a full-time Senior Research Assistant on the Remote Intervention to Investigate Chewing Efficiency (RIICE) project. RIICE is an EPSRC funded multi-disciplinary project developing a remote system for self-assessment of chewing. the long-term aim being intervention development to explore and address chewing difficulty and related wellbeing and quality of life parameters.
dr helen cartner
Senior Research Assistant
Helen is a Senior Research Assistant on the Remote Intervention to Investigate Chewing Efficiency (RIICE) project. RIICE is an EPSRC funded multi-disciplinary project developing a remote system for self-assessment of chewing. the long-term aim being intervention development to explore and address chewing difficulty and related wellbeing and quality of life parameters. Helen has been involved in university psychology teaching and research since around 2015 after several years as a dentist in general practice and as a health promotion specialist at community and strategic levels.
claire murphy-morgan
Senior Research Assistant
Claire is a full-time Senior Research Assistant for the Remote Healthcare for Eating Disorders throughout COVID-19 (RHED-C) project. She is also a member of the North East Hoarding Research Group, and previously completed a 12 month project funded by Sir Halley Stewart Trust in partnership with Gateshead Council exploring the impact of Hoarding and Social Networks on attitudes towards older adults in the North East of England.
Dr genavee brown
Assistant Professor
Genavee’s research focuses on the benefits and risks of technology for relationships from a social psychology persepctive. She is interested in examining how people use tools, like social media, to help them communicate with strangers, friends and family. Genavee is currently working on projects concerning online misogyny, emoticon usage in different cultures, LGBT relationships online, the experiences of gender diversee people, and the experience of power online. She is also interested in how cell phones can be distracting during face-to-face interactions and impact on romantic and friendship interaction.
dr lisa thomas
Assistant Professor
Lisa chairs the Psychology Department’s Athena Swan team, and is a Fellow of the HEA. She has been a Senior Researcher for three successive multidisciplinary EPSRC projects: IMPRINTS, ReelLives and DERC. IMPRINTS assessed the UK publics’ intentions to engage with identity management technologies of the future. ReelLives explored the ways in which individuals could take ownership of their digital identity. DERC aimed to improve digital provisions for the volunteering community in the North East.
dr santosh vijaykumar
Associate Professor
Santosh is a health and risk communication scientist with research interests at the intersection of public health, behavioural science and new media technologies. Specifically, he studies mobile and social media interventions for addressing global health challenges with a focus on tropical and infectious diseases.
THOMAS O’FEE
PhD Candidate (Supervisors: Dr Branley-Bell & Dr Nicholson)
Thomas is a PhD researcher investigating ethical and cybersecurity risks associated with AI-integrated mental healthcare. He aims to develop user-centred recommendations to ensure the safe and appropriate implementation of this technology. Thomas is also a Trustee at ESCAPE Family Support, a charity in Northumberland specialised in supporting families affected by drug and alcohol misuse
prof arlene astell
Professor
Arlene works with people living with dementia and carers to innovate and test new approaches and interventions.
dr kandianos sakalidis
Research Fellow
Kandianos is a Research Fellow on a project focused on developing a tool to measure meaningful engagement in people with advanced dementia. Kandianos is passionate about promoting participation in inclusive activities and health behaviours. His primary research focusses on supporting systems for people with disabilities and long-term conditions. His work aims to reduce health disparities within marginalised populations, enhance health outcomes, and advance social equity. Kandianos is a member of the European Federation of Adapted Physical Activity and the ARUK Northern Alliance Network.
BRONTË RAPPS
PhD Candidate (Centre for Citizen-Centred AI)
Brontë is an interdisciplinary PhD researcher investigating heteronormativity in language, and how this influences language models and queer individuals. Her research sits across Psychology, Design, and Computer Science. Brontë currently holds a Psychology BSc and MRes degree, as well as being a Demonstrator for 4 years at Northumbria University. She has previous experience in a range of topics, such as Intimate Partner Violence, Visual Sexism, Coping and Wellbeing for trans and bi+ individuals, and attractiveness. Her primary research interests are in queer research, gender, heteronormativity, and language.
colin stephenson
PhD Candidate
Colin is a part time PhD student researching the impact of social prescribing interventions in addressing the unmet physical and/or psychological needs of frequent attenders in primary care general practice. Colin also works for the North East & North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), as the lead commissioner for NHS primary care services in County Durham.
FAYE DOUGHTY
PhD Candidate (Centre for Citizen-Centred AI)
Faye is a PhD researcher funded by the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen Centred AI. Her research explores algorithmic bias, epistemic injustice, and data insecurity in AI-powered menstrual tracking apps. She aims to use co-design and participatory methods to support AFAB people in reclaiming AI-powered menstrual tracking apps.
RICHARD RAWLINGS
PhD Candidate
Richard’s PhD research focuses on how LGBTQ+ individuals use dating apps to establish relationships in both rural and urban environments.
pact alumni
Dr alison osborne
dr maria tibbs
