Dr Elaine Louise Kinsella

I am employed as a Lecturer in Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Limerick.  As a chartered psychologist, I have worked in academic and industry settings. Broadly, I am interested in factors that promote or inhibit health, wellbeing, and neurorehabilitation. Specifically, I am interested in the role of social groups, social networks and influential others (heroes, role models) in helping or hindering people during planned (e.g., retirement) or unplanned life events (e.g., ABI), as well as during critical stages of human development (e.g., adolescence).

In my career so far, I have built on my local, national and international research networks to produce high quality publications in my core areas of expertise — with co-authors based at King’s College London, Stanford University, Richmond University, Xavier University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Queensland.

I have a proven track record of NGO partnerships (e.g., ABI Ireland) and funding successes including an Irish Research Council (IRC) Enterprise Partnership Scheme award, an IRC New Foundations award, institutional seed funding, two Health Research Board training grants, funding from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, and an Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Grant.

Current Research Projects

• Social factors that influence adjustment to acquired brain injury
• Autobiographical memory and identity after acquired brain injury
• Heroes and role models as resources for promoting resilience and wellbeing during life transitions and challenges
• Blowing the whistle: factors that promote and inhibit wellbeing after speaking out against perceived wrongdoing