Caroline Cecil Kaufman | Clinical Psychology | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Caroline Cecil Kaufman | Clinical Psychology | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Caroline C. Kaufman is an Assistant Psychologist at McLean Hospital and Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Memphis, with a specialization in the psychology of religion and spirituality. Her work lies at the intersection of spirituality, trauma, and mental health, particularly among underserved and marginalized populations. Dr. Kaufman has developed spiritually integrated psychotherapeutic interventions and conducted groundbreaking research on antisemitism, PTSD, and alcohol misuse. She has trained at leading institutions, including Yale School of Medicine, and currently leads multiple funded projects aimed at adapting clinical care to spiritual and religious diversity. Dr. Kaufman is widely recognized for her academic contributions and advocacy for inclusive behavioral health. Her professional mission centers on empowering vulnerable communities through evidence-based, spiritually inclusive mental health research and care. She is also a frequent speaker and active contributor to national and international psychology organizations.

Profile

🎓 Education

Dr. Kaufman’s clinical and academic experience spans leading institutions in psychology and psychiatry. She currently serves as Assistant Psychologist at McLean Hospital and Instructor at Harvard Medical School. From 2021 to 2023, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Spirituality and Mental Health Program at McLean. Her internship was at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she worked in child and adolescent intensive outpatient care and the Yale Gender Program. She has held clinical roles across diverse settings, including Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Daybreak Treatment Center, and Head Start programs. She also held supervisory roles, including at Yale and the University of Memphis. Dr. Kaufman has been actively engaged in research, professional service, and teaching throughout her career. Her expertise lies in integrating spirituality and trauma-focused therapies, and she serves as Principal Investigator on several funded research projects. She also advises diversity and inclusion initiatives across clinical psychology organizations.

đŸ§Ș Experience

Dr. Kaufman has received numerous accolades for her academic and clinical contributions. In 2024, she was awarded the Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship by McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is a 2022 Livingston Fellow at Harvard Medical School and was selected for the prestigious Yale Program for Medicine, Spirituality, & Religion Fellowship in 2020. That same year, she received the Jewish Community Hero Award. Other honors include the International Research Network’s Early Career Researcher Award (2022), the Graduate Student Talk Award from the Tennessee Psychological Association (2018), and the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Award from Williams College (2015). Dr. Kaufman has been consistently recognized for her innovative research in spirituality and mental health, her leadership in DEI initiatives, and her commitment to advancing culturally sensitive clinical care. She also received multiple travel and presentation awards from the APA and other scholarly organizations throughout her academic training.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Kaufman has received numerous accolades for her academic and clinical contributions. In 2024, she was awarded the Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship by McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is a 2022 Livingston Fellow at Harvard Medical School and was selected for the prestigious Yale Program for Medicine, Spirituality, & Religion Fellowship in 2020. That same year, she received the Jewish Community Hero Award. Other honors include the International Research Network’s Early Career Researcher Award (2022), the Graduate Student Talk Award from the Tennessee Psychological Association (2018), and the Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Award from Williams College (2015). Dr. Kaufman has been consistently recognized for her innovative research in spirituality and mental health, her leadership in DEI initiatives, and her commitment to advancing culturally sensitive clinical care. She also received multiple travel and presentation awards from the APA and other scholarly organizations throughout her academic training.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Kaufman’s research focuses on the integration of spirituality, religiosity, and psychological science, particularly in the treatment of trauma, PTSD, and alcohol misuse. Her scholarship explores how spiritual identity and belief systems influence mental health outcomes, with a strong emphasis on marginalized and high-risk populations such as first responders and Jewish communities facing antisemitism. She leads several research projects, funded by organizations such as the John Templeton Foundation and Harvard Medical School, examining spiritually integrated psychotherapy, resilience among trauma survivors, and inclusion of religious diversity in behavioral health. She also investigates antisemitic prejudice and its psychological effects. Through both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, her work advances clinical science by developing culturally and spiritually sensitive interventions. Dr. Kaufman’s interdisciplinary research informs clinical practices and policy frameworks to promote inclusive, evidence-based care. She also collaborates across academic and community settings to ensure her research has practical, population-level impact.

✅ Conclusion

Publications

  • Mental Health Clinical Pastoral Education—A Specialized CPE Program

    Religions
    2025-07 | Journal article | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/rel16070886
    CONTRIBUTORS: Angelika A. Zollfrank; Caroline Cecil Kaufman; David H. Rosmarin

  • The scale matters: assessing body size with figure rating scales in a diverse sample of young adults

    Eating and Weight Disorders
    2022 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.1007/s40519-021-01166-9

  • Integrating Spirituality in Group Psychotherapy with First Responders: Addressing Trauma and Substance Misuse

    Religions
    2022-11 | Journal article | Author
    DOI: 10.3390/rel13121132
    CONTRIBUTORS: Caroline Cecil Kaufman; David Hillel Rosmarin; Hilary Connery

  • Parenting in matched pairs of women of color experiencing intimate partner violence and living with and without HIV

    Journal of Traumatic Stress
    2021 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.1002/jts.22737
    EID: 2-s2.0-85116930252
    Part of ISSN: 15736598 08949867
    CONTRIBUTORS: Thurston, I.B.; Howell, K.H.; Kaufman, C.C.; Mandell, J.E.; Decker, K.M.

Virginia Lam | Student diversity and development| Excellence in Research

Published on by Cognitive Scientist Awards

Dr. Virginia Lam | Student diversity and development| Excellence in Research

Dr. Virginia L. Lam is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Roehampton, London, where she also leads the MSc Psychology programme. With a PhD in Psychology from Goldsmiths University of London, her research spans bilingual identity, ethnic development, intergenerational adaptation, and child psychology. Her academic journey includes over two decades of teaching and leadership roles at the University of East London and Open University. Dr. Lam has led several externally funded projects focusing on multilingualism, emotional wellbeing, and cultural identity in educational settings. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Social Development journal and plays a key role in curriculum development, student mentoring, and ethical oversight. Her work blends psychological theory with social impact, promoting inclusive education and cultural understanding. A highly regarded supervisor and examiner, Dr. Lam continues to inspire through scholarship, teaching innovation, and impactful research in developmental and social psychology.

Profile

🎓 Education

Dr. Lam holds a PhD in Psychology from Goldsmiths University of London (2003), with a thesis on ethnic identity development in middle childhood. She earned a Master of Science (MRes) in Psychological Research Methods with Distinction from Exeter University in 1999 and a BA (Hons) in Psychology from Cardiff University in 1998, graduating with Upper Second Class Honours. In addition to her core academic qualifications, she completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at the University of East London in 2004, enhancing her pedagogical proficiency. This combination of high-level training in both psychological research and education forms the foundation of her interdisciplinary approach, integrating rigorous methodology with applied practice in developmental, social, and bilingual psychology. Her educational background underpins her role as a researcher-practitioner, enabling her to navigate and contribute to complex psychological and educational environments with expertise and innovation.

đŸ§Ș Experience

Dr. Lam’s academic career spans over two decades, including her current role as Senior Lecturer at Roehampton University (2021–present), where she also leads the MSc Psychology and MSc Developmental Psychology programmes. She coordinates research initiatives, ethics review, and curriculum development. Previously, she served at the University of East London from 2004 to 2021 in various capacities, including Programme Leader for BSc Child Psychology and Senior Lecturer, overseeing curriculum design, accreditations, and change management. Earlier roles include associate lectureships at the Open University and a research assistant post at Goldsmiths. Her expertise includes teaching developmental psychology, lifespan development, and self & identity, with strong administrative leadership, student engagement strategies, and cross-institutional collaboration. Dr. Lam also serves as Associate Editor of the Social Development journal, engaging in peer review, editorial decisions, and academic convening. Her sustained excellence in teaching, supervision, research, and programme management reflects a dynamic and impactful career in higher education.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Lam has earned recognition through multiple competitive research grants and leadership roles that reflect her academic distinction. She has secured funding from prestigious institutions such as the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the British Psychological Society (BPS), the Methodist Trust, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). These awards supported projects on bilingual development, emotional wellbeing in multilingual families, and cross-sector educational adaptation. Her successful RKE bids highlight her ability to lead interdisciplinary, collaborative research with practical societal impact. In 2025, she assumed the role of Associate Editor of Social Development, an honor that underscores her research credibility and scholarly influence. She has also been an invited viva chair and examiner for numerous PhD theses across institutions. Additionally, her consistent involvement in ethics committees, curriculum validation panels, and student progression frameworks reflects peer recognition of her commitment to academic excellence and institutional development.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Virginia Lam’s research focuses on identity development in multilingual and multicultural contexts, particularly among children and adolescents. Her work investigates how language, culture, and ethnicity shape self-concepts and psychological wellbeing, especially within educational systems. She leads interdisciplinary projects on emotional wellbeing among adult ESOL learners, the cultural adaptation of complementary language schools, and bilingual identity formation among diasporic populations. Methodologically, her studies integrate qualitative and mixed-method approaches, often engaging community partners and schools to bridge academic research with real-world practice. Her earlier longitudinal studies explored executive function, attention control, and cognition in bilingual children, contributing to the understanding of developmental advantages in diverse learning environments. Dr. Lam also supervises PhD projects on intersectionality, trauma, minority mental health, and self-esteem, fostering emerging research in identity, culture, and social equity. Her scholarly contributions are grounded in psychological theory yet extend to civic engagement and inclusive pedagogical innovations in higher education.

✅ Conclusion

Dr. Virginia L. Lam exemplifies academic excellence through her leadership in multilingual identity research, curriculum innovation, and impactful psychological education, making her a valuable scholar in developmental and social psychology.

Publications

  • Academic Behavioural Confidence: The Role of Demographic, Institutional, Psychosocial, and Behavioural Factors Across Diverse University Students in England

    Psychology International
    2025-05-20 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.3390/psycholint7020039
    Part ofISSN: 2813-9844
    CONTRIBUTORS: Virginia L. Lam; Paulina Taylor

  • Growing up bilingual through a pandemic: Children’s language exposure, proficiency, social identities, and competences pre- and post-lockdowns

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BILINGUALISM
    2024-08-06 | Journal article | Author
    DOI: 10.1177/1367006924124093

    SOURCE-WORK-ID:

    34db72df-a7e8-4e8c-b0a3-961e86ef563c

    2-s2.0-85201010050

    CONTRIBUTORS: Layal Husain; Virginia Lam; Martin Pinder

  • Depth of emotional experiencing and outcome in therapy with young people

    Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice
    2024-06-12 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.1111/papt.12537
    Part ofISSN: 1476-0835
    Part ofISSN: 2044-8341
    CONTRIBUTORS: Darcy Geyer; Virginia Lam; Hannah Gilbert; Mick Cooper

  • On return to school: disorder symptoms, stress at home and evaluations of school COVID-19 measures

    Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health
    2024-04-18 | Journal article | Author
    DOI: 10.2989/17280583.2023.2290647
    Part of ISSN: 1728-0583
    Part of ISSN: 1728-0591
    CONTRIBUTORS: Virginia Lam; Mandy F. O’Driscoll

Mariana Pinho | Social Psychology | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Cognitive Scientist Awards

Dr. Mariana Pinho | Social Psychology | Best Researcher Award

Researcher| University of Aveiro, Portugal

Dr. Mariana Lobo Pinho is an accomplished psychologist and researcher currently serving as an Auxiliary Researcher at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Lincoln, UK. With a PhD in Psychology from the University of Lincoln, she has established a rich academic and professional career focused on equality, diversity, inclusion, and gender studies. Her multidisciplinary work bridges psychology, policy, and social justice, contributing to numerous EU-funded and national projects. Dr. Pinho has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as the European Institute for Gender Equality and the Royal Society of Chemistry. She is the Principal Investigator of a major study on climate anxiety funded by La Caixa Foundation and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on family roles, identity, and environmental psychology. Her expertise spans both qualitative and quantitative research, making her a leading voice in the study of gender, work, and social transformation.

Profile

🎓 Education

Dr. Mariana Pinho has a comprehensive academic background rooted in psychology. She began her studies with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Porto (2007–2010), followed by a Master of Science in Clinical and Health Psychology at the same institution (2010–2012). These formative years built her expertise in clinical approaches, mental health, and human behavior. She then pursued her doctoral studies in the UK, earning a PhD in Psychology from the University of Lincoln (2013–2017). During her PhD, she conducted extensive research on gender identity, work-family dynamics, and social norms, supported by a faculty bursary. Her academic training reflects a deep integration of psychological theory, applied research, and cross-cultural analysis, enabling her to lead studies that intersect clinical psychology with broader societal challenges. This rich educational trajectory laid the foundation for her international career in research, education, and policy consultation.

đŸ§Ș Experience

Dr. Mariana Pinho’s professional journey spans academic research, consultancy, and public policy across Europe. Since 2023, she has worked as an Auxiliary Researcher at CESAM, University of Aveiro, and as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Eleanor Glanville Institute, University of Lincoln. Previously, she held roles as Senior and Research Fellow at the same institute (2019–2023), where she led pioneering studies on equality and climate psychology. She has served as a consultant and national expert for the European Institute for Gender Equality, and conducted policy and evaluation research for various EU bodies. Earlier, she held research positions in Lithuania, including at Mykolas Romeris University and the Public Policy and Management Institute. Mariana has also worked in industry (Western Union) and provided psychology internships in Portugal’s National Health Service. Her multifaceted experience demonstrates her ability to translate academic insight into impactful, real-world applications in equality, inclusion, and environmental resilience.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Mariana Pinho has received notable recognition throughout her academic and professional career. Early on, she was awarded an Integrated Master’s Scholarship from the Portuguese Government, recognizing her as one of the top 10 students in her cohort. During her doctoral studies, she earned a competitive PhD Scholarship Faculty Bursary from the University of Lincoln. Her contributions to psychology and social research have earned her nominations for prestigious international awards such as the International Cognitive Scientist Awards. In 2023, her leadership in socially impactful research led to several high-profile projects, including funding from La Caixa Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Her reputation as a gender and inclusion expert has led to consultancy roles for the European Commission and recognition by the British Psychological Society. These accolades highlight her sustained excellence and influence in the fields of gender equality, environmental psychology, and inclusive policy development.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Mariana Pinho’s research centers on the intersection of social psychology, gender, family dynamics, and environmental behavior. She explores how identities—such as parental and work roles—shape and are shaped by social norms, particularly in contexts of gender non-conformity and role reversal. Her recent studies delve into climate change anxiety and its influence on pro-environmental behavior, with a focus on psychological gender disparities. She also investigates perceptions of fairness, inclusion, and psychological safety in academic and professional settings. Her research utilizes both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, bridging individual experience with structural analysis. Through projects funded by the European Commission, Royal Society of Chemistry, and La Caixa Foundation, she has contributed to key discourses on gender equality, caregiving roles, and emotional responses to environmental crises. Her work not only advances theoretical understanding but also informs inclusive policies and practices in higher education, research environments, and public health.

✅ Conclusion

Dr. Mariana Pinho exemplifies the integration of academic rigor and societal impact through her work on gender, inclusion, and environmental psychology. Her cross-disciplinary approach enables her to address pressing global challenges with nuanced, evidence-based insights.

Publications

  • Climate Anxiety: a mechanism for change?

    2024-01 to present | Grant
    ‘la Caixa’ Foundation (Barcelona, ES)
    GRANT_NUMBER:

  • BARRIERS WITHIN BARRIERS − MINORITIES WITHIN MINORITIES: the challenges for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the UK-US STEM landscape through an intersectional lens

    2023 to 2023 | Grant
    Royal Society of Chemistry (Lincoln, GB)

  • Building Networks and Partnerships to Enable Transformational Change in Inclusive Policy and Practice Across Businesses, Organisations and Government

    2023 to 2023 | Grant
    Research England (Lincoln, GB)

  • Post-graduate Psychology Trainee Experiences of Racism

    2023 to 2023 | Grant
    British Psychological Society (Lincoln, GB)