The Bradford Mental Health Research Centre

Ruth joined the University of Bradford in 2025 as Associate Professor in Children and Young People’s Mental Health. She is an experienced researcher in children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The thoughtful and reciprocal involvement of young people in research sits at the core of her work. Ruth is also a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Previously, Ruth was a Research Fellow for the Adolescent Mental Health Collaboratory (University of York) focusing on what works to protect adolescent mental health in the Born in Bradford Age of Wonder cohort study. Ruth obtained her undergraduate degree in psychology from Durham University and a Masters and PhD in psychology from the University of Manchester.

Ruth is the Academic Lead for the Bradford Mental Health Research Centre (funded by the NIHR Mental Health Leaders Award).

Ruth also co-leads AIM Bradford: Adolescent Interventions for Mental Health in Bradford (previously Bradford Mental Health Collaboratory). This research programme includes a pilot trial of a school-based intervention to create a positive school environment that supports student mental health: Promoting Positive Adolescent Mental Health (PPAMH!) for School Climate. 

Ruth co-founded the Youth Mental Health Evidence Synthesis Hub (Y-MHESH) which works in partnership with young people to co-design and co-produce meaningful evidence syntheses that have genuine impact on mental health decision-making with, and for, children and young people. Watch our short video ‘What is Y-MHESH?’.

Dr. Paul Sullivan studied psychology at University College Cork, Ireland, graduating with a BSc in 1998, a postgraduate diploma in Education in 1999 and a PhD in Psychology in 2004. His research interests span qualitative methods, mental health and wellbeing, organisational systems, cultural values, history and philosophy of psychology.  His research philosophy and agenda is ‘dialogical’ meaning that research should strive for bidirectional learning; be historically and culturally sensitive and work, not just with things as they are, but with the potential for an uncreated future, and this thread runs through all his publications.

Paul is currently a lead investigator of the NIHR Mental Health Leaders Award and co-lead of the Bradford Mental Health Research Centre.  This award aims to build capacity and capability in mental health research at the University of Bradford, and to further cohere with the exciting “Born in Bradford” Research Infrastructure, in partnership with University of York.  As Head of Department of Psychology from 2020-2024, and ex-Chair of the BPS History and Philosophy Section,  Paul has a track record of capacity and capability building.  Here, too, his philosophy is premised on partnership, bi-directional learning and tapping the potential of formal and informal mentorship networks to enhance the well-being of people, systems and the societies in which they are embedded for public good.

Dr Eleanor Bryant is a Chartered Psychologist at the University of Bradford, specialising in children and young people’s mental health. She works across the Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research and the Centre for Applied Educational Research (CAER), where her research focuses on the psychological and behavioural factors that shape emotional wellbeing. Her work examines how early-life experiences, social and environmental contexts, and cognitive processes influence mental health outcomes, body image, self-esteem, and eating behaviours in young people.

Eleanor co-led the successful £2.5 million NIHR Mental Health Leader Award, strengthening research capacity in applied psychology and enhancing place-based mental health research. She also leads work on eating behaviour and food psychology, with particular expertise in Disinhibition and Uncontrolled Eating. Her research investigates their impact on weight regulation and physical activity. She developed and validated the Child Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (CTFEQr17), now translated and used internationally across French, Turkish, Brazilian, and Romanian contexts.

Alongside this, Eleanor plays a key role in the AHRC-funded Dying 2 Talk project, which co-produces tools with children and young people to support conversations about death, dying, and bereavement. This work aims to create developmentally appropriate resources that help young people navigate difficult emotional experiences.

Through her leadership and interdisciplinary collaborations, Eleanor is committed to improving children and young people’s mental health by advancing evidence-based approaches that integrate psychological wellbeing, eating behaviour, bereavement support, and public health interventions.

Dr Emre Deniz is an Assistant Professor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the University of Bradford. His work focuses on understanding what helps children and young people thrive, and how early experiences at home, in school, and in the community shape mental health and wellbeing.

 Emre has worked across the UK and internationally, studying how different factors—like family life, school environments, and even our genes—interact to influence development. He has contributed to some of the country’s largest school-based mental health programmes and has collaborated with global research teams to better understand how children grow, learn, and cope with challenges.

As a co-investigator on the £2.5 million Mental Health Leaders Award, Emre helps lead a major effort to improve mental health support for young people across Bradford. This project brings together schools, communities, health services, and faith groups to map local needs, identify gaps, and design early, preventative support—especially for groups who face the greatest inequalities.

Emre is passionate about turning research into real-world change. His goal is simple: to help create a future where all children and young people have the opportunity to feel well, flourish, and reach their full potential.

Reena is an experienced social work professional with a strong background in supporting children, young people, and students across Bradford. She has led innovative mental health initiatives, including serving as Project Manager for the Digital Solutions to Cultural Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Support for South Asian Students project at the University of Bradford, where she oversaw all aspects of project delivery and co-produced a student-led wellbeing web app. In her previous role as a Student Wellbeing Officer at the University of Bradford, Reena designed and delivered proactive wellbeing initiatives across the student journey. Reena also led the recruitment and development of Student Mental Health Ambassadors, facilitated workshops and campaigns, and promoted inclusive, preventative approaches to student mental health. Her career spans roles in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Barnardo’s, NSPCC, and Bradford Social Care where she delivered therapeutic interventions, facilitated group work, and supported families through complex challenges.

Originally from Rotherham (South Yorkshire), Cara joined the University of Bradford in 2024 as a Research Associate on a project trialling universal screening and intervention for motor skill difficulties in schools across West Yorkshire. She obtained a First-Class Advanced Psychology (Industrial) MPsyc BSc from the University of Leeds the same year with a focus on public health and behaviour change.

During her placement year at university, Cara worked as a Research and Implementation Assistant at Born in Bradford on the Join Us: Move Play project. This project focused on evaluating the effectiveness of whole-system approaches to community-led physical activity interventions for children and young people. She worked closely with charities and community organisations in Scotchman Road and Manningham and led coproduction and process evaluation activities in that area of Bradford.

Her research interests and work surround childhood development and motor skills, SEND, physical activity and mental health. She is passionate about Bradford and improving outcomes for children and young people in the district.

Outside of work, Cara volunteers on the radio, plays korfball and is actively involved in amateur theatre productions. She hopes to bring her expertise in the creative sphere into academia to make research as accessible as possible.

Our Grant Administrator Temi is a PhD researcher in areas of Assessing the impact Digital Technologies used in retail marketplace on vulnerable groups. He is adept in task organisation and creating visibility with digital marketing tools.

Contact

Email

o.e.odetunde@bradford.ac.uk