CLS researcher wins 2016 British Psychological Society prize

The British Psychological Society’s Outstanding Doctoral Research Contributions Award for 2016 has been awarded to Dr Praveetha Patalay.

Dr Patalay, CLS Research Associate, received her PhD from UCL’s Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology in 2015. Her thesis investigates the effect on academic achievement of the onset of mental disorders at key developmental periods in childhood and adolescence.

She was also commended for applying innovative statistical methods to examine the impact of digital compared to paper and pencil administration of questionnaires.

Dr Patalay said: “It is nice to get this recognition from the society for my doctoral work and I will continue my research into further understanding the development of mental health in children.

“Going forward, I also hope to encourage and help psychology students become more methods savvy, especially in the use of longitudinal data.”

The award is made by the British Psychological Society each year to recognise the outstanding contributions made by doctoral research students to psychological knowledge.

Professor Jamie Hacker Hughes, President of the British Psychological Society (BPS), said: “I thoroughly congratulate Dr Patalay on this award. Psychology, as a discipline, is a key contributor to advancing the boundaries of scientific research and Dr Patalay’s work is an excellent exemplar of that.”

BPS is the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. It is responsible for the development, promotion and application of psychology for the public good. For more information visit www.bps.org.uk