Professor of psychological medicine and director of the Centre for Women’s Mental Health, University of Manchester, UK

“I’m fascinated by the study of the mental health of women and mothers. Through my work as a professor, researcher, and clinician, I aim to advance scientific knowledge on these topics and support women around the globe who are going through mental health challenges with empowering and educational resources, especially during the pregnancy and postpartum period.”

Areas of expertise

Psychological medicine
Reproductive psychiatry
Women’s mental health
Neurodevelopmental disorders

“At Flo, I enjoy advising on and reviewing content related to the mental health of mothers. Depression during pregnancy and in the postpartum period is common, and I want to help disseminate evidence-based resources to as many people as possible to support their mental well-being during this important time of transition in their lives.”

— Kathryn Abel, PhD

Areas of expertise

Psychological medicine
Reproductive psychiatry
Women’s mental health
Neurodevelopmental disorders

— Kathryn Abel, PhD

Career

University of Manchester – Professor of psychological medicine and reproductive psychiatry
Manchester Centre for Women’s Mental Health – Founder and lead
Over 100 research publications in peer-reviewed journals, six edited books, and several published chapters and abstracts
National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Local Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester Division 4 – Lead for dementias and neurodegeneration, mental health, and neurology

Education

Oxford University – MBBS and PhD
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience – Psychiatry training, 1991–2001

Awards and achievements

Recipient of a European Research Council Consolidator award
Frequent speaker at international medical and scientific conferences
Five-year Medical Research Council research fellowship
Developed a number of important international research collaborations in Scandinavia, Australia, and the United States
Developed an e-learning tool to improve reproductive (and pregnancy-related) health in patients with mental illness

Academic memberships

Member of the Royal College of Psychiatry Academic Faculty Executive Committee

Appearances and publications in other media

Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 7, no. 10, pp. 883–92,

01 Oct 2020

Mental Health before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Probability Sample Survey of the UK Population

The British Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 217, no. 1, pp. 354–63.,

01 Jul 2020

Effects of Parental Mental Illness on Children’s Physical Health: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Archives of Women’s Mental Health, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 179–87.,

01 Apr 2019

Neural Pathways of Maternal Responding: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Flo articles reviewed by Kathryn Abel, PhD