Dr Dusana Dorjee

Profile

Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Psychology in Education leading the Well Minds Lab. I am a clinical psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist by training. I gained my PhD in Psychology and Cognitive Science (Cognitive Neural Systems) from the University of Arizona and have two master’s degrees, one in clinical psychology (Comenius University, Slovakia) and the other in cognitive psychology and cognitive science (University of Arizona). After completing my PhD studies I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bristol and Bangor University. I have authored and co-authored 30 peer-reviewed publications and written two peer-reviewed books.

I established the Well Minds Lab in 2011 and developed its research program with focus on developmental psychology and translational developmental neuroscience of mental health and wellbeing. Research conducted in the lab promotes methodological innovation by integrating self-report measures with experimental neuroscientific (mainly event-related brain potential) and psychophysiological (heart-rate variability) assessments, and also includes qualitative methods where relevant. Using this variety of methods we have conducted cutting-edge longitudinal intervention studies in schools and cross-sectional studies, with both types of research looking into mechanisms underpinning mental health and wellbeing. Importantly, research in my lab aims to meaningfully contribute to improving mental health and wellbeing policy and practise with the goal of making a positive difference to long-term mental health and wellbeing trajectories of children and adolescents. 

Departmental roles

• Programme leader for MSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education
• Member of the Ethics Committee in the Department of Education

University roles

• Member of the University Mental Health Research Steering Group

Research

Overview

I investigate cognitive, affective and neural mechanisms underpinning mental health and wellbeing from a developmental perspective. I have recently formulated a new developmental framework called the Developmental Theory of Mental Health and Wellbeing Capacities (DeTeC) which summarises these mechanisms in terms of two key capacities: the self-regulation capacity (as a source of effective attention and emotion regulation) and the self-world capacity (as a source of flexible, ethically-grounded and purposeful self-concept). My research currently aims to understand the development of these capacities and ways to effectively, incrementally and systematically foster them as part of education. I believe that supporting development of these capacities is a key prerequisite for effective mental health prevention and early interventions. These capacities can also play a central role in equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to adaptively face the current and future societal challenges. To enable further research on the DeTeC theory I am currently leading the development and validation of the Developmental Inventory of Mental Health and Wellbeing Capacities (DIWeC) aiming to assess the capacities across age groups.

Aside from the research on the DeTeC theory, I investigate the modes of existential awareness (MEAs) which describe phenomenologically distinct awareness states or traits encompassing one’s sense of self and reality. I proposed the concept of MEAs in 2016 (Dorjee, 2016) and since then I have developed a Modes of Existential Awareness Inventory (IMEA) which aims to assess these states and traits using ratings of short scenarios describing experiences associated with 15 distinct MEAs. Over the last two years we have collected preliminary data validating the IMEA measure and are currently preparing a research article which will report the validation findings. The IMEA is part of a comprehensive measure called the Mechanisms of Contemplative Practice Inventory (MCPI) I developed based on the Dorjee (2016) framework explaining changes in cognitive and affective processes modified by contemplative practice (such as mindfulness, compassion etc.). We are in the process validating these further measures. Building on this work, I am particularly interested in exploring the role of MEAs in mental health and wellbeing and more broadly, in furthering our understanding of human potential for self-insight. The work on MEAs also holds potential for wider societal implications. With my collaborators, we are currently exploring the possible role of MEAs in sustainability and further research will examine links between MEAs and political polarisation.

Theoretical and methodological innovation is a hallmark of research in the Well Minds Lab. We have developed the integrative neurodevelopmental framework for translational neuroscience research on mindfulness which is broadly applicable to neurodevelopmental mental health and wellbeing research. The more recent theoretical advances include the DeTeC theory which builds on both neuroscientific and psychological research evidence in formulation of the self-regulation and self-world capacities. Methodologically, our research includes both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, and both self-report and experimental task methods. A unique aspect of our research combines self-reports with experimental event-related brain potential (ERP) measures or psychophysiological indexes such as HRV or RSA in investigating developmental changes linked to mental health and wellbeing. We use a portable EEG system that allows us to collect data in schools. Some projects use self-report and qualitative methods, depending on the particular research questions. 

Research group(s)

• Psycology in Education Research Centre (PERC)
• I am heading the Well Minds Lab

Grants

I have received funding in support of my research and impact work from the British Academy, The Mind & Life Institute, the ESRC, Innovate UK and a Fulbright Fellowship.

Collaborators

I am a collaborator of the National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research (NCPHWR). I also collaborate with researchers in the UK, USA, Israel, Germany and the Czech Republic. My lab hosted visiting researchers from Brazil, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany and China.

Available PhD research projects

I am interested in supervising PhD projects that would further our understanding of the self-regulation and self-world capacities proposed in the DeTeC theory or the modes of existential awareness from a developmental perspective. I am also interested in supervising projects exploring links between the two capacities or modes of existential awareness and coping with current societal crises including sustainable behaviour or political polarisation.

If you are interested in any of the following topics, please contact me to discuss PhD supervision options further:

1. Developmental trajectories of self-regulation and self-world capacities in relation to mental health and wellbeing outcomes in children or adolescents, including their experimental EEG/ERP or psychophysiological correlates (project can use self-report/informant report, mixed methods and/or EEG/ERP and other psychophysiological methods);
2. Developmental trajectories of existential awareness in children or adolescents in relation to their mental health and wellbeing outcomes, possibly including exploration of EEG/ERP or psychophysiological correlates (project can use self-report/informant report, mixed methods and/or EEG/ERP and other psychophysiological methods);
3. Can self-regulation and self-world capacities predict coping with societal crises, sustainable behaviour or political polarisation views? (study with adults using self-report/informant report, mixed methods and/or EEG/ERP and other psychophysiological methods)
4. Effects of school-based universal mental health and wellbeing interventions on developmental trajectories of the self-regulation and self-world capacities and/or existential awareness in children or adolescents (project can use self-report/informant report/mixed methods and experimental EEG/ERP or psychophysiological assessments)
5. Impact of enriching religious education with contemplative practices on the self-regulation and self-world capacities and/or existential awareness in children or adolescents and their mental health and wellbeing outcomes or sustainability behaviour (using self-report/informant report and/or mixed methods). 

View all of our current available PhD research projects.

Supervision

I supervise BSc and MSc dissertations. I have supervised to successful completion six PhD theses and one DClin thesis. Five PhD students are currently completing their thesis projects under my supervision. 

Impact

My research and teaching aims to contribute to bridging the gaps between research, policy and practice. I contributed to several mental health and wellbeing policy initiatives, for example, I was an academic consultant for the Health and Wellbeing Areas of Learning for the new Welsh curriculum and an advisor on three UNESCO initiatives focusing on social and emotional learning in schools. I was the lead author on a chapter titled ‘The Science of Flourishing in Child and Adolescent Development’ published by UNESCO as a policy and practice guidance distributed to all 193 UNESCO member countries.

I have designed the MSc Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education at the University of York which effectively integrates latest research in psychology and neuroscience of mental health and wellbeing with relevant policy and practice. In addition, I have co-authored (with focus on neuroscience content) a mindfulness-based wellbeing curriculum for 3-11 year olds called ‘The Present’. My outreach activities include interview and podcast contributions to various media outlets including the BBC as well as accessible articles in The Conversation and on my Psychology Today and Medium blogs. Here are some selected media contributions:

• YorkTalks 2022: Training softer skills for wellbeing in harder times
• Coronavirus: Six ways of turning anxiety into positive mental health habits. The Conversation. (25 March, 2020)
• Neuroscience of Wellbeing: A developmental educational perspective. UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. (June 2020)
• Six common misconceptions about meditation. The Conversation. (16 March 2018)
• Contribution to a BBC 4 Radio Programme (Woman’s Hour) on Neuroscience of Depression and Anxiety (9 July 2014)

External activities

Memberships

I am a member of The Society for Psychophysiological Research, Cognitive Neuroscience Society and Association for Psychological Science.

Editorial duties

I am an associate editor for Mindfulness (Springer) and an academic editor for PLOS One.

Invited talks and conferences

Dorjee, D. (2018, February). The Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Mindfulness. Invited talk delivered to the Mindfulness Society, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK.

Dorjee, D. (2017, November). Integrating first-, second- and third-person perspectives of the self-construal in contemplative science research: Implications for education. Invited workshop at the Inaugural Educere Network Meeting. Oxford Department of International Development, Oxford University, UK.

Dorjee, D. & Silverton, S. (2017, October). Mindfulness-based wellbeing programs in Welsh primary schools. Invited talk at the Welsh Public Health Conference. Newport, Wales, UK.

Dorjee, D. (2016, January). Mindfulness and the Developing Brain. Invited talk and workshop presented at the Mindfulness in Schools Conference. London, UK.

Dorjee, D. (2015, October). Mechanisms of Mindfulness: Lessons from electrophysiology. Department of Psychology, City University, London, UK.

Dorjee, D. (2015, June). Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Mindfulness. Invited talk to the Scottish Mindfulness Research Community, Department of General Practice, Glasgow University, Glasgow, UK.

Media coverage

• ‘Schools need to teach pupils skills to maintain good mental health - here’s how’ – Article published in The Conversation (5 September 2018)
• ‘Six common misconceptions about meditation’ - Article published in The Conversation (16 March 2018)
• Contribution (research demonstrations and interview) to BBC1 documentary series ‘How to Stay Young’ (aired in September 2017)
• Contribution to a BBC Wales Science Café on neuroscience of lucid dreaming (18 September 2016)
• Contribution to a BBC Wales News report on Mindfulness in Schools (20 January 2016)
• Contribution to a BBC 4 Radio Programme (Woman’s Hour) on Neuroscience of Depression and Anxiety (9 July 2014)
• Contribution to Irish RTE Radio 1 science show What’s it all about? regarding meditation and happiness (20 May 2014)