Life adversities can leave deep scars on mental health, often leading to and exacerbating a vast range of mental illnesses.

Our research focuses on life adversity and its impact on mental and physical health across the lifespan, particularly in underrepresented communities and specific groups.

Our research involves a range of different methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative methods.

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

— Maya Angelou

Our research projects

  • Understanding the Psychosocial Risk Factors for Multimorbidity in Psychosis

    Principal Investigator: Dr Georgina Hosang
    PhD student: Erin Lawrence

    This project aims to identify risk factors for health outcomes and disease progression. Specifically, the study tries to clarify how psychosocial factors, like stress and adverse life events, can detrimentally impact health outcomes, such as the onset of psychotic symptoms or comorbid physical conditions, and how such psychosocial factors can be explained through syndemic frameworks.

  • Emotion Regulation and Youth Mental Health

    Principal Investigator: Dr Georgina Hosang
    PhD student: Abigail Thomson

    This project focuses on emotion regulation as a potential mechanism and possible clinical target underlying multiple mental health problems in adolescents. This study firstly explores the relationship between childhood adversity and emotion regulation on mental health, and further investigates the effectiveness of a self-directed digital intervention for improving emotion regulation and mental health in adolescents.

  • Youth Subclinical Hypomania: Risk Factors and Long-Term Outcomes

    Principal Investigator: Dr Georgina Hosang
    PhD student: Irene Gonzalez-Calvo

    The aim of this project is to identify the risk factors and long-term mental health and functional outcomes of youth subclinical hypomania. The project uses data from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) to assess the degree of genetic and environmental influences in hypomania and bipolar disorder.

  • Recognition and Treatment of Depression in Renal Dialysis Patients: The Role of Inflammation

    Principal Investigator: Dr Georgina Hosang
    PhD student: Simone Rahman

  • The South Asian Trauma Research on Intimate Violence and Empowerment (STRIVE)

    Principal Investigator: Dr Sania Shakoor

    The project explores experience of intimate partner violence in South Asian women living in East London.