Mariana Pinto da Costa

Dr. Mariana Pinto da Costa is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, and a Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. She also serves as an Invited Professor at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto. Her work bridges clinical psychiatry, academic research, and global mental health advocacy.

• Education: Graduated from the University of Porto, with Erasmus study in Italy and Poland. Earned an International MSc in Mental Health Policy and Services from New University of Lisbon (WHO-supported) and a PhD in Social Psychiatry from King’s College London.

Research Focus: Specializes in public mental health, digital mental health, and psychosocial interventions, particularly addressing loneliness, stigma, and mental health service delivery. She pioneered the Phone Pal intervention to connect psychosis patients with volunteers via smartphones and leads studies on workforce migration in psychiatry.

Publications Trends: Her recent work explores loneliness in severe mental illness, volunteering in prisons, and AI applications for mental health. She frequently employs clinical trials, qualitative methods, and multi-country collaborations.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Fellowship, World Association of Social Psychiatry
  • Honourable Mention, UK 10th Doctoral Research Awards
  • Top 100 Innovative Women Leaders in Global Mental Health (Columbia University)
• Leadership & Mentorship:
  • Former President, European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees
  • Chair, Early Career Psychiatrists Section, World Psychiatric Association
  • Academic Lead, Digital Psychiatry Special Interest Group (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
  • Mentorship initiatives for early-career psychiatrists