Dr Elizabeth Braithwaite

My profile

Biography

Academic and professional qualifications

2015: Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil) in Psychiatry, University of Oxford

2011: BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science (Neuroscience) with Industrial Placement - 1st Class, Cardiff University

Other academic service (administration and management)

Internal and External PhD examiner

Psychology Early Career Researcher (ECR) representative

Expert reviewer

Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing, New Ideas in Psychology, Translational Psychiatry, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Clinical Epigenetics, Epigenetics, Frontiers in Psychology, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, BMC Public Health, BMC Pediatrics

Editorial Board membership

January 2018 – current: Frontiers in Psychology, Section of Developmental Psychology; Psychreg Journal of Psychology (PJP)

Interests and expertise

I have two main areas of expertise, which dovetail under the common theme of stress and mental health

1. Early life stress and developmental psychopathology

I am interested in how stress in early life (as early as in utero!) can increase risk for poor mental health in childhood and adolescence. My research concerns the biological and psychological mechanisms which underpin the intergenerational transmission of poor mental health. Much of my research has concerned the relationship between stress in pregnancy and child mental health, and I have published several papers highlighting that impacts of prenatal stress vary by child sex. I am also very interested in the link between maternal mental health and breastfeeding; particularly the idea that challenges with breastfeeding may cause the onset of new, or worsen existing, mental health difficulties in new mothers. I use a variety of methodologies, primarily quantitative, including large cohort data, longitudinal prospective studies of self-report psychological measures and stress biomarkers, and more recently, qualitative methods. I have received funding for this work from UKRI (MRC), The British Academy, The Leverhulme Trust, and The Norwegian Research Council. 

2. Mental health and performance in highly demanding environments

Over the past 6 years I have collaborated with colleagues from MMU and elsewhere on a program of research focused on human performance in highly demanding environments. Such environments include, but are not limited to, UK Defence and Security, emergency medicine, search and rescue, elite sport and space travel. Our research focuses on understanding how best to maintain performance in these potentially volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environments, and also on how to manage stress and maintain psychological well being over the long term following frequent exposure to these demanding environments. Our research uses a mixed-methods approach and takes a biopsychosocial perspective. We have received funding for this work from the Ministry of Defence, Nuffield Health and the UK Space Agency

Impact

Our research has the potential to impact many people, both locally and globally. 

Research on early life stress and developmental psychology has relevance for families, healthcare professionals and policy makers. 

Research on performance in demanding environments has potential implications for all of the people who work in these environments, as well as large organisations and policy makers. An example of impact in this area is that based on our research, we designed a training program for military personnel focused on enhancing resilient performance. 

Projects

Early life stress and developmental psychopathology projects:

1. The mounting pressure of the ‘breast is best’ message: Impact of breastfeeding difficulties on maternal mental health

This is a two-year project funded by a BA/Leverhulme Small Grant, comprised of two studies: a large quantitative survey of 2000 new mothers, and qualitative interviews with mothers, their partners, midwives and health visitors. The aim of this project is to further our understanding of the link between breastfeeding challenges and maternal mental health, and to identify opportunities to support new mothers. 

2. Maternal mental health and breastfeeding outcomes

I collaborate with colleagues from MMU (Professor Rebecca Pearson, Dr Nicky Wright, Dr Chris Murgatroyd) and the University of Oslo (Professor Mona Bekkhus, Dr Kristine Haftorn) to use data from two large birth cohorts (ALSPAC, based in the UK, and MoBa, based in Norway). We conduct analyses of these cohorts to examine relationships between maternal mental health, DNA methylation, personality traits and breastfeeding outcomes. 

3. Re-thinking the programming hypothesis: Prenatal maternal anxiety/depression, DNA methylation and child psychopathology: A sibling design

I collaborate on this project with Professor Mona Bekkhus (University of Oslo), which is funded by the Norwegian Research Council. The project used existing data from the MoBa cohort to examine whether links between prenatal stress and child psychopathology are explained by changes in DNA methylation. 

4. Health start Happy start: investigating DNA methylation mechanisms

I collaborate on this project with colleagues from the University of Cambridge (Professor Paul Ramchandani, Dr Christine O’Farrelly) and Professor Chris Murgatroyd (MMU), and it has been funded by MMU. Health Start Happy Start was a randomised controlled trial of a video-feedback intervention designed to improve responsive parenting and sensitive discipline in parents of young children with behavioural difficulties. This project examines whether changes in parenting are related to epigenetic changes in the child, which in turn are associated with child behaviour. 

5. Sex differences in the effects of early life stress on child and adolescent mental health

I collaborate with colleagues from MMU (Dr Nicky WrightProfessor Jonathan Hill), Kings College London and University of Liverpool (Professor Helen Sharp). This project uses data from the Wirral Child Health and Development Study (WCHADS) to examine sex-specific effects of prenatal stress on child and adolescent mental health. 

Stress, health and performance in demanding work environments: 

1. Performance under stress in emergency medical teams

I collaborate will colleagues who are medical doctors in emergency medicine in Italy (Dr Luca Carenzo, Dr Lorenzo Gamberini) and colleagues at MMU (Prof Marc Jones, Dr Martin Turner) to examine the impact of psychological stress, perceived demands and resources, anxiety and team connections on team performance in medical emergency simulations. 

2. Stress and performance in isolation

Colleagues from MMU (Prof Marc Jones, Dr Martin Turner, Dr Lucy Walker, Dr Andy McCann) and I have worked with the European Space Agency to examine the impact of isolation on astronaut’s mental health and performance, team function and stress biomarkers. This work is funded by the UK Space Agency. 

3. Email engagement in leisure time and health and productivity

I have been working with colleagues from MMU (Prof Marc Jones, Dr Lucy Walker) and the University of Manchester (Prof Cary Cooper) to examine how engaging with work emails during leisure time can increase work-home interference (WHI), and impede psychological health, physical health and work performance. It is important for organisations and individuals to fully understand the impact of workplace stress, the influence of technology, and support wellbeing over the long term. 

Teaching

I am currently leading the development of a new MSc programme in the Psychology of Human Performance, with delivery starting in September 2025. 

Level 7 (MSc)

MSc Psychological Wellbeing in Clinical Practice

MSc Childhood Development and Wellbeing in Practice

  • I teach on the Research Principles and Methods module
  • I am a research dissertation supervisor

Levels 4-6

Bachelors degree in Psychology

Level 6 

  • I have a placement student from the Psychology in Practice module working with me in Semester 1 

Level 5

  • I teach on the quantitative research methods module

I also offer research project placements to medical students from the University of Manchester. 

Courses

Supervision

I supervise MSc students for their research dissertation, and I currently supervise 2 PhD students. 

Research outputs