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 over 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 theoretical and methodological innovation. 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 NDeTeC theory - a transdiagnostic approach to mental ill-health prevention and wellbeing promotion. Methodologically, our research combines self-report measures with experimental neuroscientific (mainly event-related brain potential) and psychophysiological (heart-rate variability) assessments, and also includes qualitative research 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 neurodevelopmental mechanisms underpinning mental health and wellbeing. Importantly, research in the Well Minds Lab aims to meaningfully contribute to improving mental health and wellbeing policy and practice with the goal of making a positive difference to long-term mental health and wellbeing trajectories of children and adolescents. To this aim I have been engaging with a range of policy and curriculum development initiatives in the UK and internationally.
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 Neurodevelopmental Theory of Mental Health and Wellbeing Capacities (NDeTeC) that specifies 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 through cultivation of mental health and wellbeing skills and knowledge as part of education. 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 NDeTeC theory I am currently leading the development and validation of the Developmental Inventory of Mental Health and Wellbeing Capacities (DIWeC) assessing the capacities across age groups.
Aside from the research on the NDeTeC 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 of 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 NDeTeC 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)
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.
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 NDeTeC 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, sustainable behaviour or political polarisation. If you are interested in any of the following topics, please contact me to discuss PhD supervision options further:
- 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);
- 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);
- 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)
- 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)
- 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).
Supervision
I supervise BSc and MSc dissertations. I have supervised six PhD theses to successful completion. Five PhD students are currently completing their thesis projects under my supervision.
External activities
Overview
Impact
My research and teaching aims to contribute to bridging 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 blogs. Here are some selected media contributions:
