Katie Hazelgrove is a senior postdoctoral research associate in the Section of Perinatal Psychiatry in the Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology (SPI) Lab, at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN). Katie’s research focuses on risk factors for perinatal mental illness and explores the impact that perinatal mental health has on offspring outcomes. Katie received her PhD from the IoPPN in 2018. Her doctoral research examined the role of maternal psychobiological stress in maternal and infant outcomes in women at increased risk of postpartum psychosis.

Since completing her PhD, Katie has worked on a range of research projects in perinatal psychiatry. Her work includes longitudinal studies examining the impact of antenatal depression and postpartum psychosis on stress reactivity, behaviour, and development in children aged 6–8 years, and a Wellcome‑funded clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of group singing for postpartum depression. More recently, Katie has secured funding from the Psychiatry Research Trust to develop a pilot project to further explore the effectiveness of group singing for pregnant women and fathers. She is also involved in a large‑scale, European Union–funded, interdisciplinary research programme aimed at improving understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying the development of perinatal depression. Alongside this, Katie works on clinical audit, service evaluation and quality improvement projects at the Channi Kumar Mother and Baby Unit, at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in South London.

In addition to her research work, Katie teaches and supervisors students on the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface, Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology and Mental Health Studies MSc programmes at King’s.

Research Interests

• Perinatal Mental Health
• Postpartum Psychosis
• Infant Mental Health

Research Groups

Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Lab & Perinatal Psychiatry

Section of Imaging and Neurobiology of Psychosis

Teaching

Psychology and Neuroscience of Mind-Body Interface MSc (module lead)

Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology MSc (lecturer)

Mental Health Studies MSc (lecturer); BSc and MSc project supervisor

PhD supervisor