Centre for Abuse, Trauma and Suicide Studies (CATS)

About us

The Centre for Abuse, Trauma and Suicide Studies (CATS) is an interdisciplinary research centre at 麻豆TV网站 University. It studies trauma, abuse, and wellbeing, including suicide prevention across the lifespan.

The Centre brings together expertise in psychology, criminology, and computer science. This expertise supports rigorous, ethical, and community-relevant research.

CATS examines abuse, adversity, and trauma, and their effects on the mental health and wellbeing of victims, perpetrators, and professionals.

Much of our work examines digital and internet-related issues. We study emerging online harms and use innovative online assessment methods.

The Centre also maintains a strong focus on people’s lived experiences. This includes the experiences of survivors and practitioners. We ensure that our findings inform policy and professional practice, and achieve the greatest possible impact.

Alongside its research, CATS provides consultancy, practitioner training, media dissemination, and knowledge exchange on trauma and wellbeing. This work helps translate research into improvements in practice and policy.

Directors

Emeritus Professor Antonia Bifulco and Professor Julia Davidson OBE founded the Centre in 2008 as the Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies. It was relaunched as CATS in 2025 and is now led by Co-Directors.

Professor Lisa Marzano - Professor Lisa Marzano is Professor of Psychology and was, until recently, Theme Director for Equity and Improvements in Health and Wellbeing at 麻豆TV网站 University. For more than 20 years, she has worked with stakeholders, academic collaborators, and experts to develop an interdisciplinary evidence base. Her work aims to reduce suicides and self-harm in safe, effective, and compassionate ways. She has secured several large research grants. Her current work covers suicidal behaviour and life-saving interventions in public places, online harms, technological innovation in suicide prevention, and the timely monitoring of suspected suicides at local and national levels.
Prof Elena Martellozzo, PhD - Professor Elena Martellozzo is Professor in Criminology. She has worked in cyber violence for more than 15 years and is recognised as a world-leading expert in online harms and online safety. Her work contributes to policy debates about technology and human behaviour. She develops innovative research and shares her findings through international forums. Professor Martellozzo regularly secures government research funding in highly sensitive areas. She works with the police, the Internet Watch Foundation, the NSPCC, the Children’s Commissioner for England, and the Home Office. She has advised governments and practitioners in Italy and Bahrain on child online protection and online violence against women and girls. This work has supported the development of national child internet safety policy frameworks.
Associate Professor Dr Mahdi Aiash - Dr Mahdi Aiash is Associate Professor in Computer Science and Cybersecurity. He has extensive expertise in practical cybersecurity, AI-driven security, and exploitation research. He leads the Cybersecurity Research Group at 麻豆TV网站 University. He also has extensive experience of industry collaboration, practical training, and research. As Director of Technology, Safety and Digital Security at CATS, he integrates advanced cybersecurity solutions into the Centre’s work on online harms, exploitation, and digital safety. His research covers AI for cybersecurity, threat intelligence, penetration testing, and the protection of digital environments from emerging risks.

Team members

Dr Jeffrey DeMarco - Associate Director and Forensic Psychologist
Dr Ruth Spence – Senior Research Fellow in Psychology
Dr Laura Joyner – Researcher in Psychology
Dr Andrea Oskis – Senior Lecturer in Psychology
Dr Catherine Jacobs, CPsychol – Honorary Researcher specialising in attachment and parenting assessments
Dr Jenni Ward – Associate Professor of Criminology
Boglárka Meggyesfalvi – Researcher in Child Protection and Online Safety
Professor Erminia Colucci – Professor of Visual Psychology and Global Mental Health
Sophie Brown – Research Assistant
Jacob Greaves – Research Assistant

Damon Boughen – PhD researcher focusing on community-led youth suicide prevention
Jude Smit – PhD researcher exploring student mental health and suicide attempts.

Dr Ilkay Ba艧ak Ad谋güzel – Postdoctoral researcher from Hacettepe University, studying violence against women
Dr Tamara Fedotiuk – Postdoctoral researcher from Kyiv University, focusing on Ukrainian refugees and trauma.

Professor Miranda Horvath – Expert in violence against women and girls research
Dr Kari Davies – Principal Academic in Psychology, Bournemouth University
Dr Paul Bleakley – Lecturer in Criminology
Professor Larysa Zasiekina – Trauma researcher and Visiting Fellow.

Research projects

CATS conducts research projects with practical impact. Recent and current projects include:

Evaluation of new community-based suicide prevention hubs.

A £7 milliom UKRI-funded collaboration led by KCL on improving population mental health and reducing inequalities.

An NIHR-funded study into the effectiveness and unintended consequences of suicide prevention technologies.

Working with National Highways and TRL to reduce road-related suicides and improve evaluation of interventions.

Research using new data sources to understand victim profiles and risk in sexual offence cases.

A Technology Coalition-funded project investigating the impact of exposure to child abuse materials on content moderators and developing interventions.

A Devon and Cornwall Police-funded project developing an algorithm to identify high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators and evaluating its implementation.

REPHRAIN-funded research (co-led by Prof. Julia Davidson, UEL and Prof. Martellozzo) examining the emerging metaverse and its potential risks to children, producing guidance for safer immersive digital environments.

An Innovate UK project creating an AI learning assistant to support neurodiverse professionals in cybersecurity (addressing dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and dysgraphia).

Developing an AI-driven tool to harden Linux systems by intelligent configuration of kernel capabilities (minimising security vulnerabilities).

A proactive security assessment and threat-hunting solution for Linux Mandatory Access Controls, leveraging the MITRE ATT&CK framework funded by Innovate UK.

A toolkit integrating multiple testing strategies to uncover blind spots in machine learning systems, improving ML security and reliability.

Collaboration with West Midlands Police on using predictive modelling to prioritise high-harm stalking and harassment suspects.

Youth Justice Board pilot evaluation (with Prof. A. Goodman) of a supervised housing scheme to reduce youth reoffending.

Major grant-funded evaluation of a new police tool for identifying stalking cases in partnership with multiple UK police forces.

Development of web-based versions of CATS’s established assessments (in partnership with Youth-In-Mind) to enable efficient online delivery of trauma and attachment measures.

Mixed-method evaluation of a pilot programme for parents at risk of recurrent care proceedings, aimed at breaking cycles of child removal.

Collaborations and partners

CATS has a wide network of institutional and project partners. This network reflects the Centre’s emphasis on applied research and knowledge exchange.

Key partners and collaborators include:

herEthical.AI, a specialist AI consultancy that provides machine learning solutions to police and third-sector organisations. Its work uses technology to combat gender-based violence
Resolver, a risk intelligence organisation that safeguards more than $6.5 trillion in market capitalisation for over 1,000 global companies. Its Risk Intelligence Platform combines AI and human expertise to identify and prioritise risks, and support timely and agile responses.
REPHRAIN, the National Research Centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online
National Volunteer Police Cadets (VPC)
EU Child Safety Online
Child and Family Training (CFT)
Secure Base Solutions (SBS)
Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England
Action for Children
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
St Christopher’s Fellowship (SCF)
NatCen (National Centre for Social Research)
Isle of Man Government
St Michael’s Fellowship (SMF).

Contact information

Centre for Abuse, Trauma and Suicide Studies (CATS), 麻豆TV网站 University – Town Hall (TG47), The Burroughs, Hendon, London NW4 4BT.

For more details and current updates, please visit the .

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Sep 8