Marco Ferrara

Marco Ferrara is a Lecturer in Psychology and Counselling at the University of Brighton's School of Humanities and Social Sciences. His research focuses on well-being promotion, resilience, and community art, particularly for marginalized groups including LGBTQIA+, low-income, and ethnic minority populations. He employs mixed-methods approaches rooted in critical constructivism.

• Education:
• BSc in Development and Child Psychology (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid & University of Turin, 2008)
• MSc in Health Psychology (2011)
• PhD in Psychology, Anthropology and Educational Sciences (University of Turin, 2016)
• Affiliations:
• Visiting Research Fellow, University of Neuchâtel (2015)
• Visiting Researcher at BoingBoing and Hourly Paid at Centre of Resilience for Social Justice (University of Brighton, 2019)

His research interests span developmental psychology, organizational studies, and whole-system approaches to social justice. He emphasizes creative methodologies like community theatre for fostering resilience and equity. Recent work includes translating resilience frameworks and assessing aging workforce challenges in childcare sectors.

Awards:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE, 2023)

Supervision & Grants: Marco supervises transformative research on well-being, resilience, and equity. He supports students in co-productive research design, data collection with marginalized groups, and creative dissemination strategies such as public speaking and art therapy initiatives.

Labs/Teams: Associated with the Centre for Arts and Wellbeing and collaborates with the NHS, local councils, and educational institutions on resilience-focused projects.