Tara Doran
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Tara Doran – Research Assistant Tara Doran is an undergraduate psychology student at the University of Manchester and is currently completing a placement year with the Psychosis Research Unit as an Honorary Research Assistant. During her placement, Tara will primarily contribute to the Let’s Talk 2 trial, while also supporting work connected with the RAPID and Talking With Voices II studies. This will include helping to produce a content analysis of...
Lyndsay McCann
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Lyndsay McCann – Peer Support Worker Lyndsay McCann is a Peer Support Worker with the Psychosis Research Unit at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. She recently joined the unit to support the delivery of the Let’s Talk 2 trial, bringing previous experience of providing peer support within a community-based clinical service. Lyndsay’s work is grounded in the values of understanding, respect, shared experience and hope. Peer support offers people the...
Lucy Lofus
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Dr Lucy Loftus is a Research Assistant Lucy Loftus is a clinical psychologist, trial therapist and researcher working with the Psychosis Research Unit at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. She currently works as a trial therapist and local trial coordinator for the Feeling Safer study. Feeling Safer is a large, multi-centre research trial evaluating a supported online psychological programme for people experiencing persistent fears that other people intend to harm...
Sophie Hodson
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sophie Hodson is a Research Assistant Sophie Hodson is a Research Assistant Psychologist based at the Psychosis Research Unit (PRU) within Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH). She plays a key role on the Let’s Talk 2 trial, a NIHR-funded randomised controlled trial (RCT) that supports people living with psychosis who face stigma-related challenges in their daily lives. Since joining the PRU team in October 2025, Sophie has been actively...
Jess McGiffen
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Jess McGiffen – Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner Jess McGiffen is an Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner working within PRU part of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. She supports the delivery of clinical mental health research across several research units, helping research teams identify, approach and recruit people who may be eligible to participate in clinical trials and other research studies. As part of her role, Jess helps potential participants understand what...
Sarah
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Sarah is an Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner working for the Psychosis Research Unit and Complex Trauma Research Unit. In her role, she is responsible for participant recruitment for the CONNECT and Talking with Voices trials. She collaborates closely with clinical teams to ensure they are well-informed about the studies and can effectively communicate research objectives to service users. Before assuming her current position, Sarah served as an honorary assistant psychologist within...
Eleanor Davey
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Eleanor Davey - Research Assistant Eleanor Davey is a Research Assistant with the Psychosis Research Unit (PRU) at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), supporting the Feeling Safer project - a multi-centre randomized controlled trial evaluating a six-month, staff-supported online program for people experiencing persistent fears that others intend to harm them (persecutory delusions). In her role, Eleanor supports participant recruitment and conducts research assessments with trial participants. The published...
Beth Cooper
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Beth Cooper - Research Assistant Beth Cooper joined the team in 2025 as an Assistant Clinical Research Practitioner, supporting recruitment and liaison across the RAPID, Talking with Voices and Feeling Safer trials within mental health research at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH). Since Summer 2025, Beth has also been working as a research assistant on the Feeling Safer trial, recruiting service users and conducting research assessments as part...
Cheyann Heap
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Cheyann Heap - Trial Manager Cheyann is the Clinical Trial Manager for the RAPID study on remotely-delivered psychosocial interventions for people with severe mental health problems. Her academic background is in psychology at undergraduate and doctoral level, with her doctoral thesis focused on communication and personhood in dementia care. Cheyann also completed a post-doctoral Masters in Applied Human Rights, where she conducted research including: an assessment of the needs of women leaders in...
Aqsa Choudary
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Aqsa Choudary - Research Assistant Aqsa Choudary has worked at the Psychosis Research Unit (PRU) since 2020. Her first role was as a Research Assistant on the STAR (Study of Trauma and Recovery) trial. This is a large-scale study investigating the effectiveness of trauma-focused therapy for people who have experiences of voices, visions, sensations, or worries about being unsafe or persecuted. Since Summer 2023, Aqsa has also been working on the RAPID...