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Professor Lucia Valmaggia PhD

Professor of Clinical Psychology

  • Head of Virtual Reality Lab
  • Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist South London and Maudsley NHS Trust

Research interests

  • Mental Health

Pronouns

she/her

Biography

I am a Professor in Clinical Psychology and Head of the Virtual Reality Research Lab, I am also a Hon. Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.

My research has been in two areas; Early Intervention and Virtual Reality (VR) applied to mental health. My work has focused on the prevention and early detection of mental health problems, in particular psychosis. I have extensive experience in service implementation in the community and I set up the first service for prevention and early detection of psychosis in a prison setting.

I lead the IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab (VR Lab), an interdisciplinary group of clinical academics, clinicians, neuroscientists, post-doctoral researchers working alongside a VR developer and industry partners. We conduct studies in psychosis, eating disorders, depression, autism, epidemiology, discrimination, gambling, prevention, and early intervention.

I have published extensively, and I have been named Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In 2021 I was awarded the British Psychological Society Presidents’ Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Knowledge

I am a Visiting Professor at KU Leuven and the Past-President of IEPA Early Intervention in Mental Health.

Research Interests

  • Virtual reality for mental health
  • Early Intervention
  • Early detection

Teaching

I contribute to all aspects of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme, I am also a Research Tutor and the Head of Selection.

Expertise and Public Engagement

Our work in VR received international media coverage (Aljazeera, BBC World, Newsweek, Daily Beast, Twitter) as well as very positive reactions from service users and carers. I use Twitter to promote my work.

    Research

    MR VR app Promo
    IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab

    The IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab (VR Lab) is led by Dr Lucia Valmaggia and is a world-leading multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR based research, assessment and treatments for mental health.

    Status not set
    tides logo
    Tackling Inequalities and Discrimination Experiences in health Services (TIDES)

    TIDES study investigates how discrimination experienced by both patients and healthcare practitioners may generate and perpetuate inequalities in health service

    Project status: Ongoing

    UNIQUE-Logo--Standard-A4-Size-at-600dpi-A556
    UNIQUE Research Group

    UNIQUE Research group carries out a range of sudies involving people who experience persistent, full-blown psychotic experiences but are not in need of care

    Status not set

    News

    IoPPN researchers elected Fellows of British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

    Professors Lucia Valmaggia and Patrick Smith recognised for as having made a significant contribution to the development of cognitive behavioural therapy.

    Valmaggia Smith BABCP 780x440

    Dr Lucia Valmaggia wins BPS Presidents' Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Knowledge

    Dr Lucia Valmaggia, a world leader in early intervention in psychosis and pioneer of the use of virtual reality in relation to mental health

    Awards

    Events

    30NovNeurotechnologies Thumb

    Neurotechnologies: Current Developments, Applications and Ethical Issues

    This symposium will broadly focus on neurotechnologies for neuroscience research, mental health and neurology applications.

    Please note: this event has passed.

    Spotlight

    The real-world impact of Virtual Reality

    Consultant Clinical psychologist Dr Lucia Valmaggia leads King's IoPPN Virtual Reality Lab - a world leading, multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR based...

    Research in action VR

      Research

      MR VR app Promo
      IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab

      The IoPPN Virtual Reality Research Lab (VR Lab) is led by Dr Lucia Valmaggia and is a world-leading multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR based research, assessment and treatments for mental health.

      Status not set
      tides logo
      Tackling Inequalities and Discrimination Experiences in health Services (TIDES)

      TIDES study investigates how discrimination experienced by both patients and healthcare practitioners may generate and perpetuate inequalities in health service

      Project status: Ongoing

      UNIQUE-Logo--Standard-A4-Size-at-600dpi-A556
      UNIQUE Research Group

      UNIQUE Research group carries out a range of sudies involving people who experience persistent, full-blown psychotic experiences but are not in need of care

      Status not set

      News

      IoPPN researchers elected Fellows of British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

      Professors Lucia Valmaggia and Patrick Smith recognised for as having made a significant contribution to the development of cognitive behavioural therapy.

      Valmaggia Smith BABCP 780x440

      Dr Lucia Valmaggia wins BPS Presidents' Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Knowledge

      Dr Lucia Valmaggia, a world leader in early intervention in psychosis and pioneer of the use of virtual reality in relation to mental health

      Awards

      Events

      30NovNeurotechnologies Thumb

      Neurotechnologies: Current Developments, Applications and Ethical Issues

      This symposium will broadly focus on neurotechnologies for neuroscience research, mental health and neurology applications.

      Please note: this event has passed.

      Spotlight

      The real-world impact of Virtual Reality

      Consultant Clinical psychologist Dr Lucia Valmaggia leads King's IoPPN Virtual Reality Lab - a world leading, multidisciplinary group dedicated to VR based...

      Research in action VR