Dr Kareena McAloney-Kocaman is a Reader in Applied Health Psychology in the Department of Psychology. She is a Chartered Psychologist, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. She holds a BSc (Hons) Social Psychology from the University of Ulster, a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Care Ethics and Law from the University of Manchester, and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Ulster. She is deputy lead of the Child and Adolescent Health Research Group, and also a member of the Substance Use Research Group and the Safeguarding Health through Infection Prevention Research Group.

Current research projects include:

The UK Veteran Family Study investigating the psychosocial determinants of wellbeing among the families of military veterans funded by the Forces in Mind Trust (co-investigator);

Third Culture Kids digital engagement and well-being funded by the UKRI funded eNurture network (co-investigator);

ProActive Minds, Knowledge Transfer Project to support physical activity for mental health among children and young People, in partnership with Sport Aberdeen (co-investigator);

A GCU funded study to develop statistical support resources for undergraduate students (co-investigator);

SMARVUS (Statistics and Mathematics Anxieties and Related Variables in University Students) Study (collaborator/contributor);

Recently completed projects included leading a Chief Scientist Office funded project to explore the role of migrant children as interpreters in health care settings, and co-investigator on an Institute of Alcohol Studies funded scoping review of alcohol use in fatherhood, evaluation of the Time for You service in partnership with the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), the Covid-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study, and the SMYLE study of young peoples engagement with mental health services funded by NHS GGC.

Her research interests span social and health psychology particularly in relation to how social group memberships and identities influence health and well-being of vulnerable and marginalised groups. Specific areas of interest include:

• Intergroup relations, intergroup contact and well-being
• Religion and ethnicity
• Social capital
• Health behaviours
• Statistical modelling