Jolanta Burke

Prof. Jolanta Burke is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Positive Health Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is a Chartered Psychologist and award-winning researcher, leading the Positive Activity Lab (PAL). Her work focuses on blending positive psychology and lifestyle medicine to enhance wellbeing through interdisciplinary interventions.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Psychology, Trinity College Dublin
  • MSc in Applied Positive Psychology, University of East London
  • MSc in Educational Leadership, Dublin City University
  • BA in Psychology, Dublin City University
• Research Interests:

  Her research explores mechanisms behind wellbeing interventions, including the role of epigenetics, environmental factors, and genetics. Key areas include nature-based interventions, workplace wellbeing optimization, and the integration of positive psychology into healthcare and education. She also investigates pro-environmental actions' impact on community wellbeing and the design of hyper-personalized solutions.

• Research Funding:

  Her team secured €6 million+ in grants from EU Interreg, Science Foundation Ireland, and others. Current projects include Forest4Youth (forest-based mental health protocols), Employee Wellbeing and Insights (ICT solutions for workplaces), and PsyTales (positive psychology-based educational tools).

• Awards:
  • RCSI Sustainability and Climate Health Research Award 2024
  • Variety Ireland Humanitarian Award 2024
• Teaching & Leadership:

  Serves as Programme Director for the Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Co-Director for the Masters in Positive Health Coaching. Teaches across postgraduate programs including Professional Diploma in Positive Health and public engagement initiatives like the Science of Health and Happiness.

• Labs/Teams:

  Founder and Director of the Positive Activity Lab (PAL), which pioneers interventions like the Greening Your Mind Challenge and Bee Well project. Collaborates with international teams on EU-funded initiatives.