Philip Kerrigan, Project Manager, Department of Health Sciences
Philip has been at the University of York since 2000, first as a student and then as an employee.
His background is as an art historian/ historian of science, with a PhD looking at the influence of Charles Darwin on contemporaneous botanical representation and gardening practice.
He has since migrated over to researching, and supporting and promoting research on mental health as a project manager in the Mental Health and Addiction Research Group in the Department of Health Sciences.
email: philip.kerrigan@york.ac.uk
Our 60-second interview with Philip:
Could you please tell us what work you do in the field of mental health?
My main role is as a member of the delivery team for ComBAT – a five-year NIHR-funded programme to develop and trial a new intervention, using Behavioural Activation (BA) (a brief psychological therapy), for young people aged 12-18 years with mild to moderate depression delivered by schools and other community organisations.
What do you find most rewarding and inspiring in this work?
I particularly enjoy involving members of the public with lived experience of mental health in designing, carrying out and advising on new research. Equally I love organising and facilitating creative projects that can help shine new perspectives on mental health research and bring research findings to a wider public audience.
What is the most challenging or complicated aspect of this work?
Putting your heart and soul into a project without becoming proprietorial or precious about it.
What impact do you hope your work is having - or can potentially have?
As someone who experienced a mental health breakdown shortly after leaving school, I believe that projects like ComBAT that promise new opportunities for effective early intervention are greatly needed and have the potential to improve the mental health of a generation.
Could you share with us one piece of advice that you follow for your own mental health?
Opportunities for happiness and fulfilment may come from unexpected quarters and with unexpected people, make sure you aren’t so focused on any particular dreams/goals that you miss these!