Mandi MacDonald

Professor Mandi MacDonald is a leading academic and social work practitioner at Queen's University Belfast, focusing on child welfare, adoption, and kinship care. She is affiliated with the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work and the Centre for Children's Rights. Her work bridges research and practice to improve outcomes for children and families in state care, adopted children, and those in alternative care settings. She has held roles such as coordinating modules in social work education and supervising PhD students.

MacDonald's research interests include parenting capacity, trauma-informed practices, and international child care systems, with collaborations in South Africa, Australia, and Uganda. She contributes to policy and practice through roles in networks like EuroFam-Net and Adoption UK (NI). She has authored over 75 publications and led projects addressing issues like kinship care, foster family practices, and post-adoption support. Her awards include the ESWRA award (2023) and recognition in the NI Social Work Awards (2018).

• Key Projects: Includes trauma-informed care in Northern Ireland, Ugandan caregiver challenges, and kinship care evaluations.
• Teaching: Leads modules on social work with children and families, and enhancing outcomes for state care children.
• Grants/Awards: Multiple funded projects and prestigious recognitions for her research impact.
• Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Centre for Effectiveness and Social Innovation and global partners.