Meet the SUMIT North Western Community Research Fellow

Here at Developing Healthy Communities we're delighted to be hosting the Queen's University Belfast North West demonstrator hub for the £6.8m SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology) project. That means that over the next two to three years, we will host Queen's Community and Place (QCAP) staff working to transform support for people living with substance use and mental health challenges across Northern Ireland, Ireland and Fife Scotland using digital enhancements of existing supports, including Dr Nina O'Neill.

Nina is the North Western Community Research Fellow for the project. We sat down with her to find out a bit more about her background and research interests.

Hi Nina, great to have you here in the DHC offices. What were you doing before you joined the SUMIT project?

Before joining the SUMIT Team, I was Trial Manager for an RCT for individuals diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Before that I worked across a broad range of projects since joining Queen’s University as a Research Fellow in 2012.

So, what do you see as your main research interests?

My research interests include substance use, mental health, risk and trauma. Nina is experienced in research methods adopted to work alongside vulnerable and marginalised populations, including those who use drugs, those who are homeless, incarcerated individuals, the elderly and children in care.

Your role is in the North West demonstrator site, can you tell us a bit about your connection to the area?

I grew up in Eglish, a small village in County Tyrone, and moved to Belfast at 18 to study at QUB. I stayed on after graduating and lived and worked in the city for a number of years. After meeting my other half, we made the move to Derry, which has been home for the past eight years. We now have two children, aged four and six.

Your previous work was concerned with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a topic which has obvious overlap with substance use. What is it that motivates you to work on such emotive subjects?

I’ve always been motivated by a desire to help people. Throughout my studies, I found myself drawn towards working with those who are often marginalised, whether due to mental health issues, substance use, or involvement with the criminal justice system.

Over the past 13 years as a researcher at Queen’s University Belfast, I’ve been fortunate to continue working with these groups and to contribute to research that supports improved health and social care outcomes. My more recent work in Complex PTSD has deepened my understanding of trauma and strengthened my commitment to the need for trauma-informed practice and care.

It must be important to find ways to decompress given the topics you're working with. Is there anything you like to do to wind down? Tell us a bit about your life outside of work?

Life outside of work is busy, with two girls aged four and six! At weekends we enjoy spending time together as a family, whether that’s trips to the park, the cinema or the swimming pool. We also visit family in Tyrone every few weeks.

To unwind, I enjoy going for a run with our springer spaniel, curling up with a good book or heading to a live music event or concert whenever I get the chance.

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