Our Team

There is a hard-working and dedicated team behind GM.Digital.

Kathryn Abel

kathryn abel

I am a Professor of Psychological Medicine and Director and Founder of the Centre for Women’s Health (CWMH) at the University of Manchester. I am an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at GMMH, and Director of the CAMHS.Digital research unit. My interests include maternal condition and its effects on offspring cognitive development; parenting as a mediator of maternal effects; and the outcomes of children of parents with mental illness. I have had over 150 publications and edited several books in this area, with a number of international collaborations in Scandinavia, Australia and America. I have a wealth of experience working as a mental health clinician with those who have severe mental illness.


Pauline Whelan

Hi, I’m Pauline and I co-direct the GM.Digital research unit with Kathryn.   My background is in digital health, with a focus on building software to improve health and wellbeing.  I am based at the Centre for Health Informatics at the University of Manchester. 

You can find out more about my research here: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/pauline.whelan.html


Heidi Tranter

I’m the GM.Digital Research Unit Manager, my role involves overseeing and working on projects and the day-to-day running of the unit. I’ve previously worked within CAMHS, primary care networks and forensic services, providing therapeutic support to both children and young people and adults. I’ve been involved in research looking at referrals into CAMHS with GM.Digital, exploring the effects of COVID-19 on primary care and maternity services, and the effects of experiencing adversity during childhood on emotional resilience. I’m interested in preventative approaches to mental health.


Meet the rest of the team!

Finn Hughes

Hi I am a Research Associate with GMMH! My role within GM.Digital involves working alongside the EN-CAMHS 2 research project which aims to improve the CAMHS referral project! Currently I am working alongside the team to help spearhead the beginning of this, looking at Focus groups from stakeholders involved in the CAMHS referral process! My background includes clinical work in Early Intervention for psychosis as Mental Health Wellbeing Practitioner providing CBT-Informed intervention and working in Adult ADHD diagnosis as an Assistant Psychologist. Check out my publication on the social impacts of being diagnosed with OCD at this link! I have an interest in mental health from moderate to severe mental health and how this impacts youth and young adults.


Benjamin Hookway

I am a Research Associate at GM Digital, with a background in Psychology and Clinical Neuroscience. My background has seen me work across many different projects such as investigating gambling harms and addiction, psychosis, working within forensic settings and creating interventions  for high risk individuals. My area of interest is clinical research, and I have an ever growing interest in digital health research, ensuring that mental health services are accessible for every community within the UK.


Marta Chmielowska

I am a Research Fellow in Digital Mental Health at the University of Manchester and a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at UCL. As the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme Fellow , I am developing a digital platform to promote shared decision making in mental health, with an aim to improve treatment planning, streamline care, and reduce NHS costs. My innovation stems from my PhD research and provides actionable insights for clinicians, patients, and carers to improve communication and patient-centred care.

In my role in GM Digital, I am looking into how digital products can be effectively integrated into the NHS. This includes mapping regulatory, governance, and operational pathways, identifying barriers, and developing evidence-based guidelines to support the long-term sustainability of digital health innovations. 

My broader interests include promoting compassionate care, reducing coercive practices, co-production, and advancing digital innovations to improve mental health services, especially in recovery-oriented care.


Isra Maygi

I am a Research Associate working within the GM. Digital Team. I have a background in Psychology and a master’s in Clinical Neuropsychiatry. I have experience supporting the delivery of clinical trials, as well as non-clinical research projects. 

I am committed to the ethical use of health data and have experience coordinating the governance of data and AI research studies within the NHS.

I am passionate about using technology to improve mental health outcomes and have a keen interest in research practices that promote health equity.


Trevor Lam

I am Trevor Lam, a Research Associate at GM Digital, focusing on improving public policy concerning the mental health of children and young people. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree with First Class Honours, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Creative Writing, from the City University of Hong Kong. I have contributed to research and publications on rehabilitation services for children with special educational needs. Previously, I conducted studies on creativity and education in Hong Kong. My interests lie in advocating for enhanced mental health support and educational opportunities for children and youth worldwide.


Alumni

Audie Edwardes

I’m a Research Associate at GMMH. My role involves working on projects within the GM.Digital Research Unit, such as the Core Mental Health Data Set Research project, as well as supporting other projects such as COPE and WORSHIP III aiming to improve mental health in prisons. I recently graduated from a Research Masters in Health and Well-being, and have an undergraduate degree in political science. I have previously worked in the Civil Service as an intern, as well as in the charity sector. My research interests focus on improving equality and social justice in mental healthcare.  


Charlotte Stockton-Powdrell

Charlie was a Senior Project Manager in the Digital Health Software Team at the Centre for Health Informatics at the University of Manchester. Her role involved overseeing a number of digital health projects covering disease areas including mental health, cancer screening and other long-term health conditions. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and completed AgilePM and PRINCE2 both at Practitioner level. She worked in health research for over 15 years in a variety of roles and disease areas, with a particular interest in mental health.


Kerry Gutridge

Kerry is Research Fellow at the University of Manchester and was based at the CWMH. She was a project manager who has run large scale clinical trials in prisons. Her research interests included developing and trialling interventions for women and men who self-harm, digital mental health interventions and psychiatric ethics.


Jenni Jardine

Dr Jenni Jardine was a Research Associate within the CAMHS.Digital research unit until January 2021. Jenni has worked in the NHS since 2003 and as a CAMHS Clinical Psychologist since 2011. She specialises in child and adolescent mental health and brings a wealth of experience of a wide range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. Her interests include early intervention and preventative strategies for positive mental health and wellbeing.


Jessica Kenworthy

Jess was Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner at GMMH. She has previously worked as an Assistant Psychologist with children and young people in a CAMH service, as well as with adults in forensic services. She has experience in providing therapeutic interventions to people of all ages experiencing mental health and personality difficulties. Her interests are in trauma, third wave interventions like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and in developing accessible services to promote positive mental health and wellbeing.


Siân Davies

Siân was a Research Assistant based at CWMH. She has worked in clinical trials exploring the use of digital technologies to prevent common mental disorders and has previously supported children and young people at Childline. Siân has completed an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology and is undertaking a PhD investigating fear of childbirth. Her research interests stem from being a mother of 2 young children and include, maternal and infant wellbeing, preventative strategies to reduce infant, children, and adolescent, and women’s mental health problems.


Zara Bernard

Zara was a Research Associate at GMMH. She has experience working on a large scale clinical trial across multiple prisons, with staff in prison and probation services to improve overall wellbeing of service users and staff, and with adolescents with special educational needs and disabilities. Her interests are in digital mental health interventions for common mental health problems, particularly for individuals in prison or young offenders institutions.