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Claire  Nollett

Dr Claire Nollett

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Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Claire Nollett

Overview

I have a background in managing research into interventions for mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and eating disorders. My expertise is in designing and managing clinical trials, in particular non-drug studies involving complex interventions such as psychological therapies. I am also a qualitative and mixed-methods researcher.  My particular interests are in improving mental health care for individuals with vision impairment and developing interventions for PTSD. Outside of academia I have clinical experience in treating anxiety and depression using low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy in the NHS.

I currently work in the Centre for Trials Research and Centre for Vision Services Research. In both, I am an applied researcher and the Academic Lead for Public Involvement & Engagement. In the CTR I co-ordinate the activities of the Centre's PI&E Hub

Publication

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2012

2005

Articles

Conferences

Monographs

Research

Research Interests

I have managed several trials of psychological interventions for common mental health disorders, including RAPID, a study of online Guided Self Help vs individual face-to-face therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The success of the trial was widely reported in the news.

Following my earlier involvement in the Depression in Visual Impairment Trial (DEPVIT), I am working on ways to improve the mental wellbeing of people with sight loss and have developed training on depression for optometrists. Please get in touch if you would like to access this training or if you wish to collaborate.

I have a keen interest in public involvement and engagement and delivering impact in the 'real-world' based on my research. Many of my grants are for co-produced work or impact projects. I also have a commitment to supporting women academics and co-established EMPOWER, a network for Cardiff Univeristy staff who identify as a woman.

Project Grants

Effectiveness, implementation and sustainability of Open Access Mental Health Support in Wales. NIHR PGfAR - £3.4m (Co-applicant, Work Package Lead for Public Involvement) - 2026

Adapting a guided digital Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) intervention for individuals with vision impairment. MRC Impact Acceleration Account - £29, 670 (co-Lead Applicant) - 2026

Primary care assessment for the health and social wellbeing of UK Military Veterans: A feasibility study. Forces in Mind Trust and Royal Air Force Association - £413,892.04 (co-Lead Applicant) - 2025

Developing a single session intervention for Children and Young People referred with mental health concerns. NIHR PDG - £228, 902 (Co-applicant) - 2025

Deliberative workshops with public members: Establishing trust in the use of synthetic data (DELIMIT). UKRI/ADR UK - £120, 893 (Co-applicant, Lead for PPI) - 2024

Encouraging multidisciplinarity and leadership amongst aspiring and current women principal investigators in Cardiff University (EMPOWER). Internal funding - £26, 000 - 07/2024

Producing an educational resource to share real life patient stories with eye care students: humanising healthcare. Impact Acceleration Account - £8940 (Lead applicant) - 03/2023

Liver Disease Cymru. NIHR Research Partnership – £99, 896 (Co-applicant: Lead for public involvement) - 02/2023

EXPLAIN Initiative: Creating videos to explain trials concepts to the public.  NIHR, £61, 822 (Co-applicant) - 08/2022

Co-producing a mental health training curriculum for frontline staff in the sight loss sector. RWIF Impact Funding - £24, 632 (Lead applicant) - 09/2021

Improving the detection of depression in adults with vision impairment. ZonMw - 53, 980 euros (Co-applicant) - 11/2020

Saponins for Macular Disease (SAMADI) - AltRegen - £1.2m (Co-applicant) - 04/2019

What is the impact of training low vision practitioners to screen & refer for depression on their attitudes and practice? Thomas Pocklington Trust - £8,278 (Lead applicant) - 07/2018

Feasibility and Acceptability of a new Clinical Pathway for the Identification of Non-Responders to Glaucoma Eye Drops (the TRIAGE study) Research for Patient and Public Benefit - £225,135 (Co-applicant) - 22/08/2017

Travel & Mobility Grants

Conference Grant - Thomas Pocklington Trust - £850 (Lead Applicant) - 04/2021

Travel Grant - Global Wales International Research Mobility Fund - £1350 (Lead applicant) - 10/11/2020

Collaborators

I have successful collaborations with my colleagues in the School of Optometry & Vision Sciences and School of Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University and researchers at the Singapore Eye Research Institute and Amsterdam University Medical Centre. I am currently working with Wales Council of the Blind, Sight Life, Sight Cymru and the Rehabilitation Workers Professional Network.

Teaching

Teaching in the School of Optometry

I have provided online teaching to undergraduate and postgraduate optometry students on topics including 'Research Methods in Healthcare' and 'Identifying and Managing Depression in Low Vision'.

Biography

Education and Qualifications

  • 2021   PhD in low vision and depression, Cardiff University
  • 2011   Post-graduate Certificate Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, Exeter University
  • 2000   BSc Social Psychology, Loughborough University

Career Overview

  • 2025 - Present    Senior Research Fellow/Academic Lead for PI&E, Centre for Vision Services Research
  • 2022 - Present    Research Fellow/Academic Lead for Public Involvement & Engagement, Centre for Trials Research
  • 2017 - 2023        Research Associate/Consultant, Research Design and Conduct Service
  • 2014 - 2017        Research Associate/Trial Manager, Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University
  • 2011 - 2014        Research Fellow/Trial Manager, School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University
  • 2009 - 2011        Psychological Wellebing Practitioner, AWP NHS Trust
  • 2007 - 2009        Explorer and Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
  • 2005 - 2007        Research Assistant, Eating Disorders, University of London
  • 2001 - 2005        Research Assistant, Eating Disorders, University of Leicester

Speaking engagements

  • 2024   Awarded Best Oral Presentation for "mental health training for opteometrists" at Women in Vision
  • 2019   Oral presentation at the European Society for Low Vision Research & Rehabilitation annual conference
  • 2018   Advisor on depression for an online training module hosted by the College of Optometrists
  • 2018   PPI workshop "Wellbeing for people with sight loss: Let's create a clear vision for future research"
  • 2017   Expert panel member in a training video "The Ageing Eye: Visual Impairment" for the College of Optometrists
  • 2016   Presented a webinar on Mental Health to optometrists for NHS Education for Scotland
  • 2016   Presented the findings of DEPVIT trial at Mental Health Awareness Day, Bridgend Coallition for Disabled People

Committees and reviewing

  • Journal article reviewer for the following eye care journals: Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics, British Journal of Visual Impairment, Ophthalmic Epidemiology, Acta Opthalmologica and JAMA Ophthalmology. Reviews also conducted for BJ Psych Open, Brain and Behaviour, Royal Society Open Science and Pilot and Feasibility Studies.
  • Grant reviewer for German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space

Engagement

I am the Academic Lead for Public Involvement & Engagement in both the Centre for Trials Research and Centre for Vision Services Research. I co-ordinate the activities of the CTR's PI&E Hub, which bring together researchers and members of the public to ensure that public involvement and engagement are integrated into all areas of the Centre. I am a member of the Health and Care Research Wales Public Involvement Alliance and sit on NIHR committee on public involvment and ethics.

News articles

The Eight Voices in Darkness shares lived experiences to improve support for individuals with sight loss and depression across health and social care.

Art installation sheds light on the mental health impact of vision loss

14 October 2025

The Eight Voices in Darkness shares lived experiences to improve support for individuals with sight loss and depression across health and social care.

Contact Details

Email [email protected]
Telephone +44 29206 87187
Campuses Heath Park, Floor 4, Neuadd Meirionnydd, Cardiff, CF14 4EL

Specialisms

  • Clinical research
  • Mental Health
  • Vision impairment