Biography

Orla is a Reader in Psychology at Ulster University. Orla graduated with a BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology (2:1), Ulster University (2005) and a PhD at Ulster University (2008). Orla obtained a PgCert in Higher Education Practice (2010) from Ulster University and a PgDip in Epidemiology distance learning at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2025.  

Orla has held international research posts in the US and Australia, which has resulted in the establishment of a wide international collaboration. Over the last 15 years, she was worked with a wide range of social science data sources including cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys (e.g., the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys and the UK Household Longitudinal Survey), health administrative data (e.g., the NHS Digital Mental Health Minimum Dataset), and linked administrative data (e.g., the Northern Ireland Morbidity Survey). 

Research Focus 

Study director for the Northern Ireland strand of the ESRC-funded Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study (ELC-FS).  

Research Interests 

Administrative data; survey data; adult public mental health. 

Research Awards 

Since 2012, Orla has contributed to securing research funding (>£9M) from the NIHR and the ESRC. Orla has authored over 100 research papers, which have been published in high quality, reputable journals (Scopus h-index=26, October 2024). 

Orla was awarded the Distinguished Research Fellowship for the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences 2021-22. 

In 2023, Orla was one of only three academic staff across the entire Institution- and the only female and non-Professorial staff - to be listed on the Clarivate Highly Cited™ Researchers Award list (Cross-Field category).

Discipline & Research Leadership Positions 

Orla served as a Handling Editor for Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2016-19). She has been on the Editorial board of Addiction since 2016, first as an Assistant/Associate Editor and then as a Senior Editor (since 2020). Orla is an expert reviewer for the NIHR, ESRC, MRC and for many leading mental health journals. 

Orla leads the School of Psychology Mental Health Research Theme.

Orla is the School of Psychology Postgraduate Tutor.

Teaching 

Orla coordinates and teaches on PSY562 Applied Psychology: Mental Health Practices. She also contributes to PSY105 Introduction to Research Methods. She coordinates the School of Psychology’s Annual Research Methods and Statistics Summer School. 

Students have nominated Orla for her Excellence in Learning and Teaching and Research Supervision at the UUSU Learning and Teaching Awards. Orla obtained Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2017 in recognition of her leadership in the fields of digital literacy, and in creative and innovative curriculum design and delivery.  

Research Supervision 

Orla mainly supervises students and PhD Researchers to use statistical models to analyse quantitative data from large-scaled cross-sectional and longitudinal population

· Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study (ELC-FS) (ES/V016814/1; £4.9M, 2021-2024).

· Survey Data Collection Methods Collaboration: Securing the Future of Social Surveys. (ES/X014150/1, £3.4M, 2023-2026).

· Scoping the feasibility of a new longitudinal birth cohort study of children at risk of poor outcomes across the UK. (ES/TBC, £224K, 2024-2025)

. Realising the potential of Census '21 Data in Northern Ireland: engage, inform and train. £377K.  (ES/Z502856/1 April 2024-March 2026).