Biography
Dr MacManus is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and has been a clinical academic at King's College London since 2009. She has held the position of Clinical Reader since 2019. Her research portfolio revolves around the following themes: life course perspectives on trauma, trauma related conditions and longitudinal outcomes, treatment efficacy, trauma service development and outcomes research, and models of/feasibility of trauma informed care. Her research has involved and engaged a wide range of populations: those affected by war, conflict and occupational related traumas; those involved with the Justice System; and individuals in both Western and non-Western countries. She has worked in close collaboration for many years with King's Centre for Military Health Research investigating the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-serving military personnel.
Dr MacManus supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research students, including MSc and doctoral level research candidates. She has extensive experience in teaching, examining and mentoring at undergraduate and postgraduate level at King's College London, as well degree course development and Programme Lead roles within the department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science. She lectures on a variety of courses, was module lead on the Forensic Mental Health MSc, Programme Lead for the medical undergraduate intercalated BSc in Forensic Psychiatry, Criminal Behaviour and Law, and was the Chair of the departmental Exam Board.
Dr MacManus has over two decades of clinical experience. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Her clinical psychiatry roles have facilitated translation of research findings into practice and service development at a local and national level. Until 2024, she was Head of Service for the London NHS military veteran health and wellbeing service (Op Courage), having established it as one of the first NHS mental health services for veterans in England in 2011. Alongside that role, she was Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist within the prison service and Psychological Trauma Lead in HMP Wandsworth from 2015-2022. Most recently, she has been appointed as the Psychiatry Lead for the Northern Ireland Regional Trauma Network, a multi-site service established for the victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland Conflict known as 'The Troubles', and its ongoing legacy.
Dr MacManus maintains a number of national and international roles. She supports the Royal College of Psychiatrists through her work as a member of the Special Committee For Human Rights and Mental Health and sits on the Advisory Panel for the Quality Network for Veteran Mental Health Services. She continues to engage in work to support the development of clinical and research networks in response to the war in Ukraine through her work with Global Initiative in Psychiatry and the partnership between King's College London and Tara Shevchenko National University of Kiev.
Research Interests
- Epidemiology of life course trauma and trauma related disorders
- War, conflict and military related trauma
- Trauma and offending behaviour
- Efficacy and outcomes of trauma treatments and services
- Trauma Informed Care in Healthcare and Justice settings
Research Groups
Forensic Research Group, King's College London
King's Centre for Military Health Research, King's College London
Northern Ireland Regional Trauma Network
Veteran Centre for Mental Health Excellence, Ukraine
Teaching
Research Methodology
Forensic Mental Health Research
Trauma and Trauma Related Disorders
Trauma Informed Care