MEET THE TEAM
Bethany Croak:
Bethany Croak is a PhD student and researcher at the King’s Centre for Military Health Research. Bethany’s research interests include mental health in the workplace and healthcare inequalities. Bethany works on several projects focusing on the mental health of ex-Armed Forces personnel alongside her PhD. Bethany was awarded an ESRC-funded LISS-DTP CASE studentship to complete her PhD, which focuses on the mental health, well-being and occupational outcomes of lower-paid NHS staff. Within the FIRST PETT study, Bethany is jointly facilitating with Dr Sharon Stevelink, an advisory group comprised of lived experience experts. This will run alongside the project to ensure the voices and views of ex-servicemen and women are recognised throughout all stages of the trial.
Vasiliki Tzouvara:
Dr. Vasiliki Tzouvara is an academic and psychologist experienced in mental health and post-traumatic stress disorders, currently working at King’s College London. Vasiliki has been involved in the feasibility study related to this project and she is currently leading the mechanisms phase of the study.
Molly Cui:
Dr. Molly Cui works as a junior clinical trial statistician on the FIRST PETT trial. She recently completed a PhD in Statistics from King’s College London (2019-2023), specializing in Bayesian Computational Methods for Epidemic Studies. Prior to her PhD, she achieved a Master’s in Statistics with Distinction from University College London (2018-2019) and graduated with a BSc First Class Honours in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Edinburgh (2013-2017).
Lisa de Rijk:
Dr. Lisa de Rijk is a visiting research fellow at King’s College London, Honorary Fellow of United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), and Managing Director of Awaken Consulting & Training Services Ltd, and, Awaken School of Outcome Oriented Psychotherapies Ltd. Lisa has a PhD in Pyschology focusing on marginalised individuals in society, University of Surrey. Lisa is an accredited psychotherapist and a Registered General Nurse. Lisa is clinical lead for the novel therapy and provides the clinical training and supervision of the therapists.
Sharon Stevelink:
Dr Sharon Stevelink is a Reader in Epidemiology based at King’s College London. She leads on a range of studies exploring work and health, including the health and wellbeing of military personnel and veterans. Sharon has published over 120 scientific papers and book chapters and is an independent scientific member of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Committee. She holds prestigious Fellowships from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Economic and Social Research Council. Within the FIRST PETT study, she is jointly leading efforts with Beth Croak to ensure that the voices of military veterans and their loved ones are heard and acted upon throughout all aspects of the trial.
Anthony Murray:
Anthony Murray is a local business owner and has served in Afghanistan while in 2 Scots Royal Regiment of Scotland. Anthony took part in the earlier stages of this process and has been providing a military perspective for the last few years.
Francesca Fiorentino:
Dr. Francesca Fiorentino obtained a PhD in Applied Mathematics, and worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Clinical Operational Research Unit at University College London (UK) and as a Clinical Trial’s Senior Statistician for 10 years at Imperial College London (UK). She joined King’s College London as Senior Lecturer in Clinical Trials Statistics within the Nightingale-Saunders Clinical Trials & Epidemiology Unit (King’s CTU). This unit specialises in trials of complex interventions. She has extensive experience in the design and data analysis of clinical trials, from complex behavioural interventions in surgery to biomarker enriched designs in liver disease, multi-arms multi-stage design in intervention for prostate cancer and cancer prevention studies.
Neil Greenberg:
Professor Neil Greenberg is a consultant academic, occupational and forensic psychiatrist based at King’s College London. Neil served in the United Kingdom Armed Forces for more than 23 years and has deployed, as a psychiatrist and researcher, to a number of hostile environments including Afghanistan and Iraq. At King’s Neil leads on a number of military mental health projects and is a principal investigator within a nationally funded Health Protection Research unit. He is a past chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) Special Interest Group in Occupational Psychiatry and led the World Psychiatric Association position statement on mental health in the workplace. Neil has published more than 350 scientific papers and book chapters and has been the Secretary of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the President of the UK Psychological Trauma Society and Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. In 2023 he was awarded a prestigious honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.
Victoria Pile:
Dr. Victoria Pile is a Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at Kings’ College London. Her programme of clinical research focuses on developing effective psychological interventions that are easily accessible and grounded in cognitive science. These interventions are co-designed with people with lived experience and practitioners. She has been awarded a series of clinical fellowships from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and currently holds an NIHR Advanced Fellowship. She primarily contributes to the mechanisms stream of the trial.
Chérie Armour:
Professor Chérie Armour is a Professor of Psychology and Research Director of the School of Psychology at Queens University Belfast. She is the head of the Research Centre for Stress, Trauma and Related Conditions (STARC). Chérie is a leading expert in veteran health and well-being in Northern Ireland, having led on the NI Veterans Health and Wellbeing Study, which led to significant changes in the way in which military veterans in NI are recognised and supported, and the UK Veterans Family Study. Chérie is also a leading expert in psychological trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She is the immediate past-President of the UK Psychological Trauma Society.
Jackie Sturt:
Professor Jackie Sturt is a professor of Behavioural Medicine in Nursing at King’s College London. She has worked for over 20 years at Warwick Medical School and King’s College London in research supporting people to manage long-term health conditions like diabetes and distress. She has undertaken research to understand whether using email, text and Skype can offer some people better access to health professionals than standard clinic appointments. She is both a general and a mental health nurse and a behavioural scientist.
Rebecca Rogers:
Rebecca Rogers has worked at King’s College London for the past eleven years on a variety of different research studies focusing primarily on people living with long-term health conditions andthe psychological and physical complications they experience. She worked as Trial Manager of the feasibility trial – the PETT study – and is Trial Manager of FIRST PETT.
Eric Spikol:
Dr. Eric Spikol is working as a Research Fellow in the School of Psychology and School of Nursing & Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast, having completed his PhD at Ulster University. A member of the Research Centre for Stress Trauma and Related Conditions (STARC), his primary areas of research are trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, resilience, pregnancy loss, and intimate partner violence. Eric was part of the PETT feasibility trial as a participant liaison and provided general administrative assistance.
Annmarie Grealish:
Dr. Annmarie Grealish is an associate professor in mental health at the University of Limerick and a visiting senior lecturer at King’s College London. She is a qualified general and mental health nurse, cognitive behaviour therapist (CBT), and Interpersonal Therapist practitioner (IPT). Annmarie has worked in a number of clinical settings, including; acute in-patient care, primary and secondary care, and specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in NHS Lothian. Annmarie’s research focuses on trauma, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), psychological therapies (CBT, TF-CBT, IPT), perinatal mental health, young people’s mental health, interventional evaluations and clinical trials in remotely delivered interventions. Annmarie has a leading role in the FIRST PETT trial, chairing the FIRST therapy delivery, safety, quality assurance and intervention fidelity. Annmarie is currently the Associate Editor for the Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, the Review Editor for Frontiers in Digital Health, and Inaugural Editorial of the Journal of American Nurses Association-New York (JANANY).
Alie Salford:
Alie Salford is a Registered Nurse and Highly Specialist Psychological Practitioner. She works as the Program Lead for Head Start Psychological Therapies at Walking With The Wounded and is passionate about ensuring our Armed Forces Community receives high-quality, evidence-based, timely support that meets their needs and preferences. In addition, she works part-time clinically in the NHS Trusted Relationships Project which aims to improve support for young people experiencing extra-familial abuse and/or exploitation. She also sits on several committees relevant to this work including the VAPC in Northwest England; the Royal College of Psychiatrists Quality Network for Veterans Mental Health (QNVMH): and the Contact Research Advisory Group for Military Mental Health.
Gillian Cameron:
Gillian Cameron is the Digital Development Lead within the Insights, Engagement and Innovation team in Inspire. She completed two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Inspire and Ulster University in 2018, graded Outstanding. Gillian is focused on using technology for mental health, and applying research to industry, by creating bespoke wellbeing platforms for populations including employees, students, emergency services and elite sports. Skilled in web development, data analytics and research, this has led her to study for an Industrial PhD in Computing with Ulster University, supported by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. Gillian has worked with the PETT team to develop the web pages for the FIRST PETT study.
David Cameron:
Dr. David Cameron is Clinical Lead of Inspire, an all-Ireland Mental Health, Learning Disability, and addictions charity. David is responsible for the design, strategic development, delivery and governance of high quality, safe and effective clinical. David has worked for upwards of thirty-five years as a research practitioner in statutory and voluntary mental health settings, and has led on the regional delivery of psychological therapies for victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland conflict. He has also worked as a senior full time and associate lecturer in several Universities including Dublin City University, Queens University Belfast, and New Buckinghamshire University. David holds full dual clinical registrations with the Health Care Professions Council and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, he is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow with the British Psychological Society.
Josh Kreft:
Josh Kreft is a specialist psychologist/psychotherapist who worked on the PETT feasibility study and is the trainer and supervisor of our assistant psychologists who undertake the eligibility assessment prior to veterans joining the trial. He is also providing veteran NHS services expertise for informing upscaling of FIRST.
Jason Shepherd:
Jason served with the military for over 29 years, primarily with RAOC/RLC Bomb Disposal and United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF), and deploying on all first Gulf War operational tours. He left the regular Army to join the Army reserves. He had service-related mental health issues, being diagnosed with PTSD in 2015 and Complex PTSD and significant adjustment disorder in 2020. As an accredited Armed Forces Network Service Champion, he uses his lived experiences to advocate for veterans, and to collaborate and offer advice from a military perspective. He has collaborated with The Royal Marine Charity, Swansea University, HMPPS, NHS England, MOD, as well as Veteran support services within his local area. He has collaborated with NHS England in the evaluation and commission of OP Nova, the NHS commission supporting veterans in the Justice system. Jason is currently studying for an Open BSc (Hons) Degree in Law, history and mental health having previously gained academic qualifications in stress management, counselling, safeguarding, substance abuse, and PTSD.