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Nicola Byrom

Dr Nicola Byrom

Reader in Psychology

Research interests

  • Mental Health
  • Psychology

Contact details

Biography

Dr Nicola Byrom studies mental health and wellbeing in emerging adulthood. Her focus is on public health, exploring the institutional, social, and cultural factors that shape individual mental health. Dr Byrom is passionate about the role of research and evidence in shaping principles, policies, and practice across the higher education sector. She supported the initial development of the University Mental Health Charter and her research has informed policy and practice guidance including Advance HE’s Education for Mental Health Toolkit.

Dr Byrom’s research is motivated by her own personal experiences of mental health problems. Prior to developing her research career, Dr Byrom founded Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity. At Student Minds, she pioneered peer support for university students, with a focus on supporting students with eating disorders and depression.

At King’s Dr Byrom founded and developed SMaRteN, the UKRI funded Student Mental Health Research Network. SMaRteN prioritized lived experience involvement in research and supported career development for Early Career Researchers. SMaRteN funded and supported 19 innovative research projects across the UK, supporting over 50 researchers. SMaRteN continues to support Early Career Researchers through regular discussion groups and newsletters, please get in contact if you would like to join the network.

Dr Byrom is a mixed methods researcher, working with both quantitative and qualitative methods. She is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration and always keen to connect with researchers working outside of Psychology to understand their perspective on mental health in emerging adulthood. Dr Byrom is an enthusiastic champion of Early Career Researchers and always keen to hear from potential PhD students or to support fellowship applicants.

By training, Dr Byrom is an experimental psychologist. She completed her DPhil examining individual differences in learning at the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, with Professor Robin Murphy. She was awarded an MRC Centenary Award to further develop her work.

Research interests

  • Mental Health in Emerging Adulthood
  • Peer Support
  • Educational practice within Higher Education
  • Lived Experience Perspectives

Teaching

  • Psychology and the Individual
  • Clinical Applications of Learning Theory

Expertise and public engagement

Dr Byrom was the founding director of Student Minds and continues to serve as a trustee. She has served on the organising committee for the International Association of Youth Mental Health biannual conference and was a research fellow for Zinc’s Mission 1: Women and Girl’s mental health

    News

    U-Belong project teams up with UK students to combat loneliness at university

    The King’s-led U-Belong project has launched a new interactive toolkit to equip students with the tools they need to build a sense of belonging at university.

    U-Belong toolkit

    Multi-university collaboration leads the way on improving student mental health through Nurture-U project

    New multi-university collaboration aims to create the blueprint for improving the mental health and wellbeing of students while at university.

    iStock-1218975578

    New online resource for universities to support student mental health

    Universities across the UK can today access a new online resource - developed by researchers from King's College London - to support the rising number of...

    Students

    Five IoPPN research projects receive UKRI funding

    A total of £4.4 million funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has been awarded to research projects at the...

    Clapping Award 800x450

    Education for Mental Health toolkit will embed mental wellbeing into university teaching

    A new toolkit designed to embed the teaching of mental wellbeing into university teaching was launched in London this week.

    education innovation fund

    Events

    27FebEvents 780x440-Student to CEO

    BE At King's Learn Series: Student to CEO

    As part of the Be At King’s programme, we invite you to join us for an in conversation session with two social entrepreneurs. Dr Nicola Byrom, founder of...

    Please note: this event has passed.

    07MarEvents 780x440-Fundamentals of Project Management

    BE At King's Learn Series: Fundamentals of Project Management

    This training is designed for individuals with no previous background in project management. However, it may also be considered as a review for someone with...

    Please note: this event has passed.

      News

      U-Belong project teams up with UK students to combat loneliness at university

      The King’s-led U-Belong project has launched a new interactive toolkit to equip students with the tools they need to build a sense of belonging at university.

      U-Belong toolkit

      Multi-university collaboration leads the way on improving student mental health through Nurture-U project

      New multi-university collaboration aims to create the blueprint for improving the mental health and wellbeing of students while at university.

      iStock-1218975578

      New online resource for universities to support student mental health

      Universities across the UK can today access a new online resource - developed by researchers from King's College London - to support the rising number of...

      Students

      Five IoPPN research projects receive UKRI funding

      A total of £4.4 million funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has been awarded to research projects at the...

      Clapping Award 800x450

      Education for Mental Health toolkit will embed mental wellbeing into university teaching

      A new toolkit designed to embed the teaching of mental wellbeing into university teaching was launched in London this week.

      education innovation fund

      Events

      27FebEvents 780x440-Student to CEO

      BE At King's Learn Series: Student to CEO

      As part of the Be At King’s programme, we invite you to join us for an in conversation session with two social entrepreneurs. Dr Nicola Byrom, founder of...

      Please note: this event has passed.

      07MarEvents 780x440-Fundamentals of Project Management

      BE At King's Learn Series: Fundamentals of Project Management

      This training is designed for individuals with no previous background in project management. However, it may also be considered as a review for someone with...

      Please note: this event has passed.