Katie Tyrrell
Research Fellow
- Phone
- +44 (0)1473 338573
- k.tyrrell@uos.ac.uk
- School/Directorate
- Learning and Teaching
- Katie Tyrrell ORCID
- View Orchid Profile
Since joining the University of Suffolk, Katie has worked alongside local, national, and international organisations to investigate the impact of interventions, programmes and service delivery upon the welfare and wellbeing of people across the lifespan using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Katie is working alongside the Director of Learning and Teaching and colleagues within the Directorate of Learning and Teaching to lead the research and evaluation of the institutional OfS Access and Participation Plan 2025/26-2028/29. Her previous work aligns with the Research Directorate, in which she was undertaking independent research and evaluation and supporting successful institutional submissions to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the Advance HE Athena Swan Gender Equality Charter. She is currently undertaking a PhD, registered at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Suffolk, investigating technology-facilitated relationships amongst Higher Education students.
Katie has experience of teaching research methods to undergraduate level students, and has contributed towards the Social Science Research Skills and Secondary Data Analysis modules at the University of Suffolk. Katie has also delivered CPD sessions to health practitioner students around writing for publication, and facilitated staff training workshops around delivering focus groups and interviewing vulnerable groups. Katie also has experience of supervising masters level students.
Katie’s previous research projects focused on the applications of behavioural interventions across different clinical populations within the field of cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging. Katie’s research interests lie within applied social sciences, including mental health and wellbeing, cyberpsychology and social theories of technology. She is particularly interested in research aiming to understand online abuse amongst young people and young adults and preventative approaches.
Her previous research broadly covers wellbeing across the lifespan, youth justice, youth unemployment, revenge pornography and online abuse. Katie has evaluated the Suffolk Diversion Programme for youth offenders and training packages provided by the Marie Collins Foundation (MCF) for professionals working alongside children who are victims of online abuse.
University, is it for me? Experiences of Black, Asian and Eastern European Students and Young People in Ipswich.
Katie and Lanai worked with neaco on an in-depth qualitative study to investigate Black, Asian and Eastern European students and young peoples perceptions of higher education and the barriers and facilitator to access.
University is it for me? Full Online Report (2021)
CoronaCollections: Suffolk Young Peoples Experiences of COVID-19 and the transition back to education
Katie worked on an in-depth qualitative study to investigate a group of young peoples experiences of lockdown, the transition back to education and their thoughts of the future.
CoronaCollections Report v.1 2020 - Suffolk Young Peoples Experiences during COVID-19.pdf
Resources for Co-production and Participation with CYP - Feb 2021.pdf
Digital Civility: Creating a Community of Student Safety Online
Over the past year, Katie has been working on a project funded by the Office for Students focusing on raising awareness and improving university responses to online harassment, hate crime and risk. The project has involved input from national and international partners within online safeguarding, including training, facilitating workshops and conferences, as well as close collaboration with student services and the students union. The project has taken a mixed methods approach, with focus group interviews with students, as well as use of the Microsoft Digital Civility Survey, to identify experience and perception of online risk.
Investigating Young Peoples Perceptions of Provision and Opportunities in Suffolk
Katie is leading on a project, working alongside Volunteering Matters, to investigate young peoples perceptions of their local community and provisions within their community, using social mapping and qualitative methods.
Youth Intervention Full Report (PDF)
Youth Intervention Summary (PDF)
Measuring Youth Social Action
Katie is working alongside the Ipswich Opportunity Area, as an extension of her youth engagement work, to investigate the level of young peoples engagement in youth social action activities.
Journal articles:
Sampson, K., Priestley, M., Dodd, A. L., Broglia, E., Wykes, T., Robotham, D., Tyrrell, K., Ortega Vega, M,. & Byrom, N. C. (2022). Key questions: research priorities for student mental health. BJPsych Open, 8(3), e90. View article here.
Buck, E. & Tyrrell, K. (2022) Block and blend: a mixed method investigation into the impact of a pilot block teaching and blended learning approach upon student outcomes and experience, Journal of Further and Higher Education. View article here.
Jackman, P, Sanderson, R, Haughey, T, Brett, C, White, N, Zile, A, Tyrrell, K & Byrom, N (2021). The impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK for doctoral and early career researchers. Higher Education. View article here.
Dodd, A. L., Priestley, M., Tyrrell, K., Cygan, S., Newell, C., & Byrom, N. C. (2021). University student well-being in the United Kingdom: a scoping review of its conceptualisation and measurement. Journal of Mental Health, 1-13. View article here
Bond, E., & Tyrrell, K. (2018). Understanding revenge pornography: A national survey of police officers and staff in England and Wales. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1-16. View article here
James, S., Bell, O. A., Nazli, M. A., Pearce, R. E., Spencer, J., Tyrrell, K., ... & Gurney, K. (2017). Target-distractor synchrony affects performance in a novel motor task for studying action selection. PloS one, 12(5). View article here
Research reports and other publications:
Tyrrell, K. (2023) Youth social action: shaping communities, driving change. In: Critical perspectives on research with children: reflexivity, methodology, and researcher identity. Bristol University Press, Bristol, UK. ISBN 9781529216776
Tyrrell, K., Snee, H. (Ed.), (2022). How to Research With Children Online [How to Guide]. SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online. https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529607871
Adisa, O, Maitra, D, Allen, K, Tyrrell, K and Barbin, A (2022) H.O.P.E Cross-Cultural Training Evaluation. Project Report. Centre for Abuse Research, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, Suffolk.
Richards, S, Fish, J & Tyrrell, K (2021) Bereavement support and training in Suffolk primary schools. Ipswich, Suffolk.
Allen, K, Adisa, O and Tyrrell, K (2020) Evaluation of Suffolk’s Domestic Abuse Champions Project. Project Report. Centre for Abuse Research, University of Suffolk, Ipswich, Suffolk.
Tyrrell, K (2020) Suffolk Family Carers: Evaluating support available for young carers across primary schools in Suffolk. Ipswich: University of Suffolk.
SFC Report 2020 Schools 5-9s Programme.pdf
Strudwick, R. Tyrrell, K, Tocca, A, Hayre, C. (2019) An evaluation of the Dementia Together Service provided by Sue Ryder, Ipswich, Suffolk. Dementia Together Report 2019 (PDF)
Tyrrell, K (2018) Youth Engagement: Exploring methods of engagement and feedback on the Ipswich Opportunity Area delivery plan with young people. Ipswich: University of Suffolk. IOA Youth Engagement Report 2018 (PDF)
Phippen, A. Bond, E & Tyrrell, K (2018) Online Peer on Peer Abuse: A National Survey of Teachers and Safeguarding Leads in England and Scotland. Ipswich: University of Suffolk. MCF Peer-on-peer Abuse Research Report 2018. (PDF)
Tyrrell, K & V, Rawlings (2018) Life Transitions: Well-being and Physical Activity. An evaluation of physical activity interventions in Ipswich and Stowmarket. Ipswich: University of Suffolk. Well-being and Physical Activity Report 2018 (PDF)
Tyrrell, K.; Bond, E. Manning, M and Dogaru, C. (2017) Diversion, Prevention and Youth Justice: a model of integrated decision making: An evaluation of the Suffolk Youth Offending Service Diversion Programme. Ipswich: University of Suffolk. Diversion Evaluation Report 2017 (PDF)
Bond, E. and Tyrrell, K. (2017) Findings from the online survey with professionals in Bedfordshire for MCF. Ipswich: University of Suffolk.
Tyrrell, K. and Bond, E. (2017) Well-being and online vulnerability for children aged 10-13 in Suffolk. Findings from three years of Suffolk Cybersurvey 2014-2016. Extension work for Better Policing Collaboration contract (ID: 2013-050) in support of the development of a multi-agency e-safety crime prevention (MESCP) initiative in Suffolk. Ipswich: University of Suffolk.
Cardoso, D., Tyrrell, K., Mancias Guerra, C., & Rikhraj, S. (2017). Chlorpromazine versus lithium for people with schizophrenia. The Cochrane Library. View here
Published Abstracts and Conference Presentations:
Tyrrell, K (2022) Technology-mediated intimacy and abuse: What do we know from the perspectives of students in UK higher education?, (Re)Connecting on Gender-Based Violence, The University of Liverpool.
Tyrrell, K; Priestly, M. (2022) Measuring Student Well-being and Identifying Student Priorities. SMaRteN Showcase, Kings College London.
Tyrrell, K. (2019) 'Transitions and Healthy Ageing: Evaluating the impact of exercise initiatives upon well-being and physical activity levels'. Tommy Flowers Conference, BT Adastral Park, Suffolk.
Tyrrell, K; Phippen, A (2019) ‘Why assuming students are ‘Digital Natives’ fails to safeguard them at university’, Students in Changing Higher Education Landscapes, University of Surrey,
Tyrrell, K; Phippen, A, & Bond, E (2019) Round Table event at Office for Students’ to discuss ‘what works’ in tackling hate crime and online harassment affecting students, London.
Tyrrell, K & Bond, E (2019). ‘Growing up: from online safety to digital civility and digital wellbeing?’ Digital Differences: A Safer Internet for Whom? University of Suffolk, Ipswich.
Tyrrell, K, Strudwick, R & Page, A (2018) ‘Evaluation of the Dementia Together Service’, Health & Wellbeing Research Showcase, OneLife Suffolk, Leeds Beckett University with the University of Suffolk.
Tyrrell K & Marshall, J (2018) ‘Evaluation of the Dementia Together Service: Preliminary findings’, Movement and Memories: Exploring Perceptions of Dementia. ESRC Festival of Social Science, University of Suffolk, Ipswich.
Tyrrell, K (2018) ‘Evaluating professional needs for training in responding to disclosure of online sexual abuse in Kent’. Marie Collins Foundation Conference, Kent.
Tyrrell, K & V, Rawlings (2018) 'Young people and Digital Wellbeing: Findings from a study with young people engaging in the National Citizen Service (NCS)' at A Child's World Conference 2018: New Shoes, New Directions, Aberystwyth, Wales.
Tyrrell, K. (2017) 'Youth unemployment: Addressing real needs through social enterprise' at Looking for New Horizons: The Circular Economy, ICESBA, Bucharest, Romania.
Past Projects:
Evaluation of the Dementia Together Service (2019), Sue Ryder, University of Suffolk
Creating a Community of Digital Civility and Safety (2018), HEFCE (now Office for Students) funded project, University of Suffolk.
Youth Engagement: Ipswich Opportunity Area (2018), Suffolk County Council, University of Suffolk.
Motivations for engaging in charity-affiliated sporting events (2018), Suffolk County Council, St. Elizabeth Hospice, University of Suffolk.
Life Transitions, Mental Health and Physical Activity (2018), Suffolk County Council, University of Suffolk
Violence against women online: Young people’s perspectives and experiences (2017) – Amnesty International, University of Suffolk.
Evaluation of Countywide Youth Diversion Programme (2017), Suffolk Youth Offending Service, Suffolk Constabulary, Suffolk County Council, University of Suffolk.
Young people and Digital Wellbeing: An evaluation of the Digital Wellbeing sessions delivered at the NCS programme in Ipswich, Suffolk.
Evaluation of Sams Coffee House, Access Community Trust (2017), University of Suffolk.
Katie was a founding member of the Suffolk Institute for Social and Economic Research (now Institute of Social Justice and Crime), which has generated a six figure sum total in research funding, since its inception in 2018.
Katie has also worked with various statutory and non-statutory organisations, NGOs and charities to evaluate interventions and programmes, including local organisations such as Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Youth Offending Service, Suffolk Constabulary, Diocese of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Volunteering Matters, Inspire Suffolk and 4YP, and national organisations, such as Internet Matters, South West Grid for Learning, The Marie Collins Foundation (MCF), the Revenge Porn Helpline, the Office for Students and Universities UK.
Office for Students (OfS) Safeguarding and Welfare Expert Advisory Panel (2019 - Current)
Office for Students (OfS) Mental Health Advisory Panel (2019 - Current)
Student Mental Health Research Network (SMaRteN) Research Prioritisation Exercise Steering Group (2019- Current)
Suffolk Young People's Health Project (4YP), Trustee. (2019 - Current)
Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (MBPsS) (2016 - Current)
BBC Look East (2019) 'Young People's Provision in Suffolk'
BBC Radio 5 Live (2019) 'Image-Based Sexual Abuse'
BBC Look East (2018) 'Police Responses to Revenge Pornography'
Katie is working with the Director of Learning and Teaching and other academic and professional colleagues on the research and evaluation of the institutional OfS Access and Participation Plan 25-29.
Katie worked alongside the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research, the People and Organisational Development department and other Professional Services teams to develop Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion practices at the University of Suffolk, including our first successful institutional submission to the Athena Swan Charter.
Katie worked alongside the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research to develop the institutional submission to the REF 2021 and support the early preparation for REF2029.
Katie also worked with colleagues across the Research Directorate to lead and develop the national Together for Transformation: Research for a Changing World Conference.