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Catrin Hopkins
(she/her)
Teams and roles for Catrin Hopkins
Communications Manager, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
Overview
I lead the communications team of the division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences. Our team supports the division's academic researchers, maximising their opportunities to communicate their research, through delivering professional advice, guidance, and support in communications, marketing, and public engagement.
This includes the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, the National Centre for Mental Health, the Advanced Neurotherapies Centre, the Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, and Canopi mental health support service.
We cover a bit of everything from producing print materials in-house such as annual reports, and postcards and posters for study recruitment; digital materials for social media, screens, and newsletters; as well as managing websites and blogs. We also coordinate public engagement events and activity to raise awareness of mental health conditions, and the research happening at Cardiff University that is aiming to improve diagnosis, treatment and support.
Engagement
Part of my role within the division is leading our public engagement activity.
Public engagement is vital for discussing, involving, and collaborating with the public on Cardiff University's research. The division of psychological medicine and clinical neurosciences has a strong track record in developing fun and innovative public engagement activities and projects (if I do say so myself).
Below is a taste of the activity I have led and been involved in during my time at Cardiff University:
- Science Fair at the Depot, as part of the Medical Research Council Festival of Research - a night of fair games and talks raising awareness of mental health and the research taking place at Cardiff University.
- Piece of Mind: Mental Health and Psychiatry podcast - listen on Spotify and anywhere you listen to podcasts.
- Festival of Research 2019 - we welcomed 40 year 10 pupils from Newport to learn about genetics and mental health.
- Let's talk about ADHD animation - working with young people, their families and carers, health professionals and researchers to create a new resource for newly diagnosed children and young people.
- JAMMIND game jam - we hosted videogame developers, people with lived experience, mental health campaigners, and neuroscientists for a weekend to develop new games with accurate and positive portrayals of mental health.
- Bipolar Education Programme Cymru (BEPC) webinars - a series developed to provide wide-reaching information and advice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Young People's Mental Health webinars - to mark Children's Mental Health Week in 2021 we brought together three of our researchers to develop webinars and resources around topics linked to mental health in children and young people.
- National Centre for Mental Health YouTube channel - developed the NCMH channel into a resource of videos and webinars around mental health.
- 3MDR: Virtual reality treatment for veterans with PTSD animation - supported the Traumatic Stress Research Group to develop an animation about their research findings on a new treatment for PTSD.
- Rebrand of Canopi mental health service
- Share Your Rare poetry activity - a collaboration between Dr Sam Chawner and science artists Phenotypica, exploring experiences of living with rare genetic conditions and mental health through poetry.
- What is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder or PMDD? animation - supported the Reproductive Mental Health Group to create a new video resource to raise awareness of PMDD.
- Summer School in Brain Disorders Research - hosting a week-long introduction to neuropsychiatric genetics and genomics research for trainees and scientists looking to get into research.
- Sleep Zzzine project - a collaboration with Dr Katie Lewis and the Grange Pavilion Youth Forum.
- Relaunch of the Centre of Psychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG)
- Working together for better brain health PPI event - Led by Becs Parker, this event brought together all our patient and public involvement (PPI) groups across the division for the first time.