Sorcha Bolton

I am a DPhil student supervised by Dr Kate Saunders and Professor John Geddes and funded by the Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership. My research aims to investigate the relationship between age at onset and clinical trajectory in Bipolar Disorder. My research uses a mixed-methods approach, combining epidemiological and neuropsychological data from existing longitudinal datasets with automated mood monitoring techniques. Part of my research will be undertaken in collaboration with the UK Bipolar Disorder Research Network, and the Mood Disorders Centre of Ottawa, Canada. 

Prior to starting my DPhil, I completed a BSc in Psychology at the University of Exeter, and an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. I worked as a Research Assistant (RA) at the University of Cambridge, investigating the impact of repeated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on aggressive outbursts in individuals with acquired brain injury. I then moved to Oxford University where I worked as an RA on the Collaborative Care Model for Bipolar Disorder study (COMBO), which aimed to evaluate integrating the online symptom monitoring service, True Colours, into primary care for people with bipolar disorder. 

I am also interested in student mental health, working alongside Professor Anne Duffy on the U-Flourish project, which looks at pathways to mental wellbeing and academic success in undergraduate students.