Keynote speakers

Professor Kay Tisdall holds a Chair of Childhood Policy at the University of Edinburgh in the Childhood & Youth Studies Research Group.

Her interests extend across a range of human rights issues for children including children’s rights and citizenship; disability issues affecting children; education and schooling; family law; social media and children’s privacy; and methodologies to involve children and young people in research and policy-making. In particular, Kay is involved in a collaborative programme with children, young people, adult stakeholders and academics, on children and young people’s participation in decision-making. This includes how to involve children and young people meaningfully and ethically within research, as well as policy-making and formal decisions.

Professor Rory O’Connor leads the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory at Glasgow, the leading suicide and self-harm research group in Scotland. The overarching aim of the research conducted within the group is to apply theoretical models derived from different areas of psychology (i.e., health, clinical, cognitive and social) as well as from the social and biomedical sciences more broadly to enhance our understanding of the aetiology and course of wellbeing and distress. Professor O’Connor is also particularly interested in the application of self-regulatory models across a range of physical (e.g., cardiac disease, multiple sclerosis) and mental health problems.

Rory will be presenting work from the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory focused on suicide prevention among young people and will also be discussing how he has worked with a range of stakeholders to influence practice.

Julie Cameron is the Associate Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland for the Mental Health Foundation. This includes managing a portfolio of national programmes and research activity and taking a lead role in the development of new work streams. Julie’s background includes working directly with children and young people to enable their voice and priorities to effect meaningful systems change and latterly as a researcher with specific expertise in programme evaluation.

Her current programmes include, families, children and young people, SeeMe (Scotland’s programme to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination), carers, refugees, citizenship and empowerment and future pathways.

Since joining the Mental Health Foundation in 2012, Julie has committed herself to promoting human rights and improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable groups who experience inequalities, stigma and discrimination.