Verity Westgate

I am the Project Coordinator / Trial Manager for the randomised controlled trial of Feeling Safer, an online support programme for people experiencing persecutory delusions.

Before joining EP, I worked at the Department of Psychiatry on an RCT of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.  Before that, I worked with the Critical Care Research Group at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences managing the large Wellcome Trust/Department of Health "Hospital Alerting Via Electronic-Noticeboard" (HAVEN) project aiming to identify patients at risk of deterioration in hospital. Prior to that, I was a librarian for ten years and my first degree was in history, before an MSc in Library and Information Management and more recently a MRes in Health Research.  I am a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

Outside of my role in the department, I am a lived experience researcher with an interest in mental health and autism, especially during the perinatal period.  I am currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Exeter looking at the experiences of autistic women and birthing people accessing community perinatal mental health services with the aim of making recommendations to NHSE.  I am PPIE lead/co-investigator on the NIHR funded ACORN-II project led by the University of Exeter testing an intervention for antenatal anxiety.  I am particularly interested in systematic review methodology and in supporting other people to produce their own reviews.