The Research Team

Head of Research

Hi my name is Gemma and I am TEC Cymru’s Research and Evaluation Lead. I manage a growing team of research assistants, data analysts, clinical and digital fellows, and PhD, Masters, medical students and young person advisory placements across a wide range of research, evaluation and quality improvement projects on a national basis. I have a keen interest in the interface between health, social care, education and digital innovation. I am also currently doing a PhD in Sociology at Bristol University where I am looking to improve the design and dissemination of UK Government Health and Nutrition guidelines in schools and the community.

Clinical Lead

Professor Alka Ahuja MBE is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Alka is the National Clinical lead for the Welsh Government Technology Enabled Care Programme. She is the vice chair of the Child and Adolescent Faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Public Education lead, Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales. Also a Visiting Professor at University of South Wales and an Honorary Professor at Cardiff University. She has expertise in qualitative research methodology and her areas of special interest include neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and ADHD, user and carer involvement in healthcare services and employment of digital technology in healthcare. 

Twitter: @AlkaSashin

Clinical Adoption Lead

Hi my name is Simon and I am TEC Cymru's National Lead for Clinical Adoption and Business Change. I am an ex Respiratory Nurse and have worked for many years since in the field of transforming clinical practice to provide benefits for both patients and clinicians. My personal ethos is that change should be Safe, Effective and Evidence based. I passionately believe in the work we are doing at TEC Cymru to bring the benefits of the digital age to our practice. Every area of practice brings its own set of rewards and challenges, our aim is to provide support through every stage of change and adoption, to ensure it works for you and your patients on a departmental level. 

I’m Eleanor and I am TEC Cymru’s newest research assistant, starting at the end of January 2022! I work within both Video Consultation and Telehealth. I completed my BSc in Psychology and my MSc in Clinical Psychology and Mental Health at Swansea University and both courses introduced me to the world of research and the positive impact it can have on the level of care people receive. My other areas of interest include eating disorders and mental health, especially for adolescents and I hope that any work I complete for TEC Cymru contributes to the successful use of technologies for all patient groups!

Hello, I’m Alice, I have recently acquired my BSc in Psychology at Swansea University and began working here at TEC Cymru in September 2022. During my degree I developed a good understanding of human behaviour and mental health, with particular interest in methods of and approaches to various types of treatment, from the perspective of both the patient and clinician. I am keen about research and evidence-based methods within healthcare, so I am thrilled to be a part of the research team here at TEC Cymru and hope to contribute to making a difference!

Hello, I’m Tyler. I have my BSc in neuroscience and I’m completing my MSc in biomedical science specialising in medical genetics and genomics. I started working for Tec Cymru as a research assistant in October 22.  During my degrees I gained valuable communication, problem solving, and analytical skills.  These skills will be vital for the different projects I will be working on for Telecare and Telehealth.

Hi, I’m Vicky and I started as a research assistant for TEC Cymru in October 2022. I have completed a BSc in Psychology and a MSc in Children’s Psychological Disorders.

Both of my degrees have driven my interest in research, whilst providing me with the skills in report writing and data analyses. I am excited to work on different projects within TEC Cymru.’

Hi, I’m Joel and I am a Research Assistant with TEC Cymru. I am passionate about Mental Health and the Environment and have previously worked with various mental health charities across South Wales. I have recently completed a BSc in Psychology at University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD) and an MSc in Clinical and Abnormal Psychology at Swansea University. My degrees have provided me a wide range of skills that I look forward to utilizing and developing further whilst making a difference with the research I am/will be conducting.

Hi, I’m Rob and I started as a research assistant for TEC Cymru in May 2023. I am passionate about and have previously worked within mental health. I have obtained a BSc in Psychology at Royal Holloway University and a MSc in Forensic Psychology with Counselling at Bath University. Throughout my degrees I have developed my data analysis, communication and report writing skills. I am looking forward to the different projects and research areas I will be working on with TEC Cymru.

Hi I’m Meg, I’m a third year psychology undergraduate student at Swansea University. I have been working as a research assistant part time with TEC since April 2021, where I enjoy writing analyses and report writing.

Hi, I'm Megan and I am a 5^th year medical student at Cardiff University. I have worked part time as a research assistant for Tec Cymru since February 2022. I really like the overlap between the job and my degree, as I get the opportunity to actually see the impacts of TEC in practice. 

Data Analyst & Statistics Advisor

Hi! My name is Jess and I have worked with TEC Cymru since August 2020 as a research assistant and data analyst / advisor. My role is to deal with all things statistics and analytics, and this is my passion! I am currently completing a PhD specialising in quantitative and experimental psychology, and have previously achieved an MSc in Research Methods. I am specifically interested in individual differences and how we can use numbers to improve the healthcare experiences of the population!