PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR & CO-DIRECTOR

Dr Georgina Hosang is a Reader (Associate Professor) at Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary, University of London (UK). Her interdisciplinary work focuses on the impact of life stress (childhood trauma and recent life events) on the onset and course (including physical health outcomes) of severe mental illnesses (mainly bipolar disorder, depression and psychosis) across the lifespan. She is also interested in the developmental pathway from adolescent hypomania to bipolar disorder using twin data.

Georgina completed her PhD in Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK and was then awarded the prestigious ESRC/MRC Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship. Between 2012 and 2017 she was a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at Middlesex University and Goldsmiths, University of London. She has been at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, since 2017 where she is now an Associate Professor.

Georgina is the recipient of the Samuel Gershon Junior Investigator Award (2019) from the International Society for Bipolar Disorders and the Gerald L. Klerman Young Investigator Award (2023) from the Depression and Bipolar Disorder Support Alliance (DBSA) both in recognition of my research contribution to the mood disorders field.

Georgina is committed to equality diversity and inclusion in research and academia more widely, and is the co-chair of the Early and Mid-Career Committee at the International Society of Bipolar Disorder and the Race Equality Action Group at her host institution- Queen Mary, University of London

@DrHosang

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR & CO-DIRECTOR

Dr Sania Shakoor is a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health, Chartered Psychologist and multidisciplinary researcher, whose research interests lie in developmental psychopathology with a focus on youth adversity (i.e. bullying, stressful life events), violence (i.e. intimate partner violence) and inequalities in mental health conditions and service use and provision.

Sania completed a PhD in Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK. Her thesis investigated cognitive mechanisms as a developmental pathway for children’s involvement in bullying and adjustment problems. After her doctoral studies, Sania joined Birkbeck, University of London as a Postdoctoral Researcher, where she conducted quantitative genetic research on psychotic experiences in adolescence. Before joining Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in 2018, Sania was a Lecturer at Kingston University, where she was the Course Director for MSc Child Psychology. At QMUL, Sania currently lectures and supervises students on the MSc in Psychological Therapies, and MSc Forensic Psychology and Mental Health.

To date Sania’s work has utilised genetically sensitive longitudinal data from large cohorts to explore risk and resiliency factors, and underlying mechanisms that shape the mental health of vulnerable young individuals. Recent works explore the experiences of mental health and associated antecedents, service care and health provisions in underserved populations, including those belonging to diverse backgrounds. Projects have utilised mixed methodologies, including participatory research methods, co-creation, creative arts, systematic reviews, qualitative interviews, focus groups, and quantitative statistical techniques.

Dr Shakoor is on the board of trustees for the anti-bullying charity Kidscape, and has collaborative networks with organisations such as the Muslim Mind Collaborative.

@SaniaShakoor