Professor Kathryn Higgins brings a wealth of experience in leading major research initiatives, having secured over £7 million in funding from esteemed bodies including the NIHR, ESRC, MRC, PHA R&D, and the Department for Communities. A seasoned research leader, she has directed three multidisciplinary centres at Queen’s University Belfast, including the Institute of Childcare Research and the Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation. Now as Director of Queen’s Communities and Place, she continues to champion research focused on community health and wellbeing, with a particular emphasis on substance use. Professor Higgins will oversee the strategic implementation of the SUMIT project.

Dr Donna Tedstone is the Programme Manager for SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology). As SUMIT Programme Manager, Donna has responsibility for coordinating the delivery of the SUMIT in line with contractual responsibilities to the funder, Special EU Programme Board (SEUPB). Donna works closely with SUMIT partners in Ireland and Scotland as well as SUMIT associate partners in the community to develop and maintain collaborative cross-border partnerships ensuring the successful delivery of the SUMIT project. 

Celine Reilly is the Finance Officer for SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology). Celine provides financial support to the  SUMIT team and partners in all areas of budgeting and forecasting.  This role sees her providing financial administrative support to the Principal Investigator (PI), Programme Manager, SUMIT Partners and school finance team, coordinating the preparation of complex claims in line with strict funder deadlines. 

Dr Karen McGuigan working at senior level, will have responsibility for coordinating the work of the Community Researchers as well as have a key role on the QUB led activities (Training and Communities of Practice) ensuring deliverables and outputs are provided on time.  Responsibilities will include overseeing and coordinating all data and research needs within the Demonstrator Sites especially in relation to ethics and general data protection regulation (GDPR). Karen will coordinate all work in relation to data / research requirements by the activity leads in digital and evaluation ensuring that it is distributed throughout  the Demonstrator Sites.  They will assist with dissemination of research to all relevant stakeholders both academic and non-academic audiences, collate quality progress and output reports and ensure they are escalated to the Programme Manager on time for reporting and monitoring. 

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Dr Stephanie Maguire will provide a research and coordination role to support the SUMIT programme’s regional demonstrator site focused on prison transition, delivering high-quality coordination and research. Working in collaboration with START360, Stephanie will work closely with the SUMIT Programme Manager, QUB senior and community researchers, and SUMIT Partner staff to ensure ethical, robust data collection, analysis, and dissemination. As part of the role, Stephanie will oversee local implementation, manage and support demonstrator teams, assign tasks, monitor progress, and liaise between stakeholders to ensure alignment with SUMIT goals. By tracking outcomes and escalating risks, Stephanie will play a vital role in driving SUMIT’s success at the regional level.

Dr Ceri Welsh is the North Eastern Community Research Fellow on the SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology) project at QCAP. Before joining QCAP, she worked as a Place-Based Research Associate with EPIC Futures NI (Economic and Social Partnering for Inclusive Innovation and Collaboration), part of the UK-wide Local Policy Innovation Partnerships (LPIPs). Within the Behavioural Insights workstream, she collaborated with community and voluntary sector partners and the Northern Ireland Civil Service to explore inclusive employment and the role of behavioural science in effective policymaking and practice.

Throughout her MSc in Clinical Health Psychology, her PhD in Psychology, and through several projects as a Research Assistant, Ceri’s research has focused on understanding individual differences in psychosocial wellbeing. Ceri is a member of the Interdisciplinary Research in Resilience and Cognition (InteRRaCt) Centre at QUB and served as Guest Editor for the Personality and Individual Differences special issue ‘Parent–Offspring Traits, Context and Outcomes’. Ceri is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).

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