Head of Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit awarded prestigious May Davidson Award by the British Psychological Society
Filippo Varese, Head of the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit (C-TRU), a collaboration between GMMH and the University of Manchester, has been awarded the May Davidson Award by The British Psychological Society (BPS).
The award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of clinical psychology within the first ten years post qualification.
Filippo qualified as a clinical psychologist in 2014, and has since focused on developing clinical psychology knowledge about trauma in people with severe mental health problems. His research has helped contribute to a shift in thinking about the influence of interpersonal trauma, especially during childhood, as a major risk factor for severe mental health problems. Filippo’s research has been widely cited, including in clinical guidelines from NICE and the UK Psychological Trauma Society.
In 2018, Filippo and other excellent Manchester mental health researchers (Sandra Bucci, Katherine Berry, Richard Brown and Eleanor Longden) formed the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit (C-TRU). The unit aims to develop, test and implement new psychological treatments in the NHS for people with complex mental health needs. In the past four years, C-TRU has been involved in the delivery of eight projects funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research.
Filippo said:
“I’m thrilled to receive this award as it underlines the importance of the work of C-TRU and the research we are conducting in GMMH with the help of many ‘frontline clinicians’. The impact of trauma on severe mental health problems is an area I have been actively researching since before I qualified, and a key focus of C-TRU.
"While we now have a much greater understanding that the risk factors for severe mental health problems go beyond biology and genetics, there is much work still to be done to better understand why complex trauma increases vulnerability, and importantly, what we can do both to protect against this risk, as well as support trauma survivors who are experiencing mental health difficulties.”
For more information on Filippo’s work and the Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit, please visit: Complex Trauma and Resilience Research Unit | The University of Manchester
