Professor Helen Minnis, Academic Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, University of Glasgow.
I have experience in epidemiology and trials. I have had a clinical research interest in the mental health problems of children in foster and adoptive placements for many years and, recently, my team has been focusing on testing the cost-effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for this group of children and their families. This includes an ongoing randomised controlled trial of an infant mental health service for abused and neglected chidlren (BeST?). We are delighted that NIHR (National Institute for Health Research) have funded this study and very much look forward to working with children, families and colleagues to make this a success.
Dr Fiona Turner- Halliday, Research Associate, University of Glasgow.
I lead on the process evaluation component of the trial. I am a Health Psychologist with expertise in qualitative research methods. My main areas of research interest include assessment/intervention for children who have suffered maltreatment and identification of neurodevelopmental problems. I am nearing completion of a PhD looking at the effects of the foster care system on child mental health.
Karen Crawford, Senior Trial Manager, University of Glasgow.
My role involves the coordination, management and governance. I enjoy the challenge of participant recruitment and retention in trials, and I will become more involved in the RIGHT trial in preparation for the beginning of Phase 2 and throughout Phase 2 and 3 until trial completion. My research interests are: approaches to undertaking research with vulnerable participants within trials, and study recruitment and retention.
Lorna Ginnell, Project Manager, University of Glasgow.
My role includes the day-to-day and long-term management of the project, and ensuring that the study runs to plan and in accordance with regulatory guidelines. I joined the team in 2023 and I am really looking forward to learning more about how social care systems can best support children and families. Before joining the RIGHT Trial I completed my PhD in Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and have worked on projects looking at cognitive outcomes for children born preterm and for those born in low-resource context in the Global South. My overarching research interests are how long-term cognitive and developmental outcomes can be shaped by early life experiences.
Eleanor Grieve, Research Assistant / Health Economist, University of Glasgow.
Before working for the University of Glasgow I held positions with various non-governmental organisations in international development. I am currently working on project assisting on health economic evaluations of public health interventions. I maintain my interest in international development by countinuing to do consultancy work in this field. I was also based part-time at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Department of Global Health and Development as a Research Fellow in Health Economics during 2013/14.
Verity Westgate, Trial Coordinator for the English sites of the trial, based at the University of Oxford.
My role is project management and research support for the qualitative aspects of the study. Before joining the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford, I worked with the Critical Care Research Group at the University of Oxford managing the large Wellcome Trust/Department of Health "Hospital Alerting via Electronic-Noticeboard" (HAVEN) project aiming to identify patients at risk of deterioration in hospital. I also a librarian for 10 years and my first degree was in history, before an MSc in Library and Information Management. I am now studying for a Masters in Health Research. I am a Fellow of the Association of University of Administrators and am a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. I have a strong interest in mental health, particularly perinatal mental health and mental ill-health in the workplace so I am excited to be working on a project relating to improving mental health outcomes.
Kim Satchell, Social Worker, Adopt Thames Valley Permanence Support Team.
My role within the trial is to recruit families within the Oxfordshire area. I have been a Social Worker in the Permanence Support Team for 5 years, offering support to adopted and special guardianship families. Prior to my current role I was a Social Worker in a Looked After Children Team and worked with children in the care system. I am very pleased to be involved in the RIGHT Trial. Good support for adoptive families is vital, and I am really looking forward to seeing the results of the trial as it will help inform us as practitioners in our decision-making when supporting families.
Kelly Plummer, Research Assistant, University of Nottingham.
My role is to manage study sites in Nottinghamshire, The Midlands and nearby areas from set-up, through the life-cycle of the Trial. I previously worked for a CRO managing technical solutions for pharmaceutical clinical trials, after which I adopted two boys and then volunteered as a Mental Health Act Associate Hospital Manager and eventually returned to work as an NHS Specialist Manager. I am incredibly proud to be involved with the RIGHT Trial as treatment pathways for adopted children is an area I have been navigating for many years and am excited to see how the research will impact these.
Annette Franczuk, Research Nurse, SPHSU (MRC/Public Health), University of Glasgow
Research nurse since 2007, working in parallel with my NHS Work. I have worked with chidlren and families community teams, and on several university studies, SEED (school children) and THRIVE (mothers and babies). I enjoy the relationship built with participants at the beginning of a study and hearing their experiences of the study, especially after an intervention. I am always aware that participation if voluntary in research studies, so I am flexible to suit their availability. What stuck me about the RIGHT Trial is the trust and the participants' place in us when we are speaking with their children who can be vulnerable and anxious about speaking to us.
Caroline Carlisle, Research Nurse. SPHSU (MRC/Public Health), University of Glasgow
I started nursing at 17 years old and it has been a wonderful experience throughout my life. I have worked as a research assistant and research nurse for the past 10 years. The RIGHT Trial is a very privileged opportunity to work alongside some great researchers and to spend time with amazing families who care for children, sometimes with very complex needs. Working remotely on the Trial has meant developing IT skills and troubleshotting' on the hoof'! I particularly enjoy undertaking the less structured aspect of the Trial, such as the semi-structured interviews. The openness and trust placed by the participants during the interviews is often very humbling and their 'stories' and lived experience of being a parent are incredible'.
Lee Martin, Administrative Assistant, University of Glasgow.
After obtaining my PhD and working on numerous different research projects, I am now working on the RIGHT Trial. I help organise meetings, take minutes, update spreadsheets, collect data, and anything else I can help with on a day-to-day basis. I am excited to be part of the RIGHT Trial. It is great to be part of a ground-breaking Trial looking into DDDP.
Irene O'Neill, Senior Business Support Administrator, University of Glasgow / NHS GG&C
I have worked with the team for over 30 years and have built up a wealth of experience, for example organising conferences and rising funds to support the work of the department. I provide administrative support to various projects, which includes budget-monitoring, site file maintenance, website development/maintenance.