Maria Isabela Troya Bermeo

Maria Isabela Troya Bermeo is a Research Fellow at the School of Public Health, University College Cork (UCC), and the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF). Her work focuses on mental health and suicide prevention in vulnerable populations such as older adults, ethnic minorities, and low- and middle-income settings. She holds a PhD from King’s College London and completed postdoctoral fellowships funded by the Irish Research Council and Health Research Board. Her research includes developing clinical training programs like the SAMAGH initiative and contributing to global suicide prevention strategies through NSRF’s WHO collaboration. Key interests include self-harm epidemiology, pandemic mental health impacts, and healthcare policy for aging populations.

Her academic training includes a Clinical Psychology qualification from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador), an MSc in Global Mental Health (King’s College London), and a PhD awarded the 2020 Society for Academic Primary Care Prize. She has secured major grants including a 2025–2028 fellowship on suicide prevention in Ireland’s aging population.

Publications highlight trends in self-harm among older adults, pandemic mental health effects, and suicide risk factors in marginalized groups. She co-leads projects like the SAMAGH clinical training program for healthcare professionals and participates in multi-center suicide surveillance systems. Awards include the 2020 PhD Prize for her work on self-harm in older adults.