Two psychology experts from Â鶹ƵµÀ Leicester (DMU) have been asked to fly to Dubai to share their research with leaders in their field.
Dr Antonios Christou, VC2020 Lecturer in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, and Psychology lecturer Dr Blessing Marandure are among the few scholars chosen to take part in a workshop on mental health.
The event has been planned by the British Council to improve collaboration between the UK, Iran and the wider South Asia region in the field of mental health.
The three-day event - called Building Resilience in Mental Health across the Lifespan - will bring together early career and experienced researchers from the UK and Iran to discuss key issues such as adult mental wellbeing, health related behaviours, promoting resilience and child mental health.
Dr Christou has been invited to contribute his expertise into how cognitive neuroscience – the study of how we think, learn and remember - can be used in mental health research.
He said: “I am delighted to have been selected to participate on this prestigious multinational workshop.
“Representing DMU at the event is a significant and proactive step towards establishing DMU’s reputation as a strong scientific enterprise in the fields of psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience.”
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Dr Christou said that while scientific research into mental health had been through a process of great development over the past century, it remains largely misunderstood by policy makers and the public.
He said: “Mental health is of universal concern as it can affect people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds including children, vulnerable people, displaced people and those struggling with addiction.
“The objective of the workshop is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge in both directions and to build links for future collaboration.”
Dr Marandure was invited to take part in the workshop due to her research interests and expertise in substance use, mental health and resilience processes in adolescence.
She said: “The workshop aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and to build links for future collaboration in the field of mental health treatment, prevention, and intervention.
“It will also allow us to learn from our Iranian counterparts, as the literature base is, at present, predominantly Eurocentric. This very much represents the global-orientation of DMU as an institution.”
Posted on Tuesday 11 April 2017