Moving to Bristol

I had some great news recently. I was offered and have accepted a position as Lecturer in Human Computer Interaction at the University of Bristol. In January I’ll be moving to Bristol to join the Interaction and Graphics research group in the Department of Computer Science. Exciting times!

Vancouver

Just back in Cambridge after a week in Vancouver for CHI 2011. Had a great time. Great venue, great conference.

Vancouver convention centre

Hiking in Lynn Canyon near Vancouver

Talks on mental health technologies – May 5th, Cambridge

If you are anywhere near Cambridge on May 5th, the Rainbow Group in the Computer Laboratory is hosting two talks on technologies designed to support mental health interventions. I’m giving the first myself, on the evaluations of a computer game implementing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The second is by Dr Gavin Doherty of Trinity College Dublin and will consider the challenges associated with engagement in online mental health services. Further details of both talks are available … Read More →

gNats Island

gNats Island is a computer game implementing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which I’ve been working on for a while now – in collaboration with Gary O’Reilly and Nicola McGlade at UCD and with Gavin Doherty at Trinity College Dublin. The game is designed to support interventions with young people experiencing medium to severe internalising, mental health disorders. We recently completed our first set of exploratory trials, the details of which will be published in a paper … Read More →

Irish times article discusses SeeMySelf

SeeMySelf is featured in an Irish Times article discussing online support for people experiencing eating disorders. SeeMySelf is a collaboration between the Technology Enhanced Therapy project and Bodywise, the Irish eating disorder association. Initial trials of SeeMySelf are currently ongoing.

The article is available here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2011/0215/1224289812745.html (login may be required)

CHI paper

I received some good news last week. A paper I co-authored has been conditionally accepted for CHI 2011 in Vancouver. It describes the exploratory evaluations of a new computer game, called gNats Island, which implements Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and is used to support clinical interventions with adolescents experiencing medium to severe mental health difficulties.

D. Coyle, N. McGlade, G. Doherty and G. O’Reilly, Exploratory evaluations of a computer game supporting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for adolescent, … Read More →

Guidelines for the design of mental health technologies

(Coyle, et al, 2007), in the journal Interacting with Computers, provided an initial set of guidelines for the design of technologies to support talk-based mental health interventions. These guidelines were updated in my PhD thesis and are posted below:

Clinical Validity:

Design systems based on accepted theoretical models of mental health care. Design systems in collaboration with mental health care professionals. Target important aspects of therapeutic interventions e.g. client engagement, the client therapist relationship, personal … Read More →

Rainbow Research Group

I’m now based with the Rainbow Research Group at the Computer Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The group conducts research on computer graphics and human computer interaction. It is led by Peter Robinson, Neil Dodgson and Alan Blackwell and has 6 post-doctoral researchers and 11 PhD students.

My research in the Rainbow group is conducted in collaboration with Alan Blackwell.

… Read More →

‘See My Self’ user trials

See My Self, an online programme for the prevention of eating disorders, has now entered user trials. The trials are bring conducted in collaboration with the TCD Student Counselling service and BodyWhys, the Eating Disorder Association of Ireland.

See My Self was created and is being delivered using SilverCloud, a technology enhanced therapy platform developed by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, in partnership with the NDRC and ParentsPlus.