Karen Irvine

Dr. Karen Irvine is a Senior Research Fellow and Clinical Trial Manager at the University of Hertfordshire, affiliated with the Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography within the School of Life and Medical Sciences. She leads the Basic and Clinical Science Unit and contributes to the Health Research Methods Unit and Psychology and NeuroDiversity Applied Research Unit. Her research focuses on mental health interventions for children and adolescents, particularly in foster care systems, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. She has pioneered studies using humanoid robots (e.g., Kaspar) to improve social skills in children with ASD.

Education details are not explicitly provided in the text, but her roles indicate advanced academic qualifications in psychology or related fields. Her research spans systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and feasibility studies, with a focus on interventions addressing foster care system challenges, trauma impacts, and neurodevelopmental disorders. She collaborates with multidisciplinary teams across psychology, robotics, and healthcare.

Her recent work includes evaluating the Reflective Fostering Programme (RCT), exploring parental preferences for technology-based ASD interventions, and analyzing sex differences in Alzheimer’s cognitive deficits. She has contributed to projects funded by NIHR and the Youth Endowment Foundation, addressing foster carer training, youth mental health, and criminal activity prevention.

Key collaborations include work with universities and healthcare institutions on topics like co-production methodologies, stress management for carers, and innovative technology applications in education. She is part of several research centers focused on psychology, health services, and neurodiversity.