Dr Denise Ruprai PhD, AFBPsS, CPsychol

• PgDip.: Clinical Psychiatry-University of South Wales
• Ph.D.: Neuropsychology and Neuroimaging-Birmingham University - Birmingham, UK
• MRes: Cognitive Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation-Birmingham University - Birmingham, UK
• BSc: Human Psychology-Aston University - Birmingham UK

Dr Ruprai completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham in Neuroscience (Neuropsychology and Neuroanatomy) and researched the complexities in developmental trajectories and differences across the brain, when interpreting cortical thickness analysis and why the key is really in the detail. She examined modulating factors in neuroscientific research, namely circadian chronotype, and ageing and the role of neuropsychology as a gold standard in the evaluation of cognition. She discussed the importance of choosing the correct assay, and how caution must be exercised as brain imaging methods and their measurements are more dynamic than previously thought. 

She subsequently joined the University of Birmingham as a full-time researcher and was a part of the “Women’s Risk Needs Assessment” validation team, which examined a gendered assessment tool in justice involved women across the UK.

Dr. Ruprai has recently developed an online training program for this tool (Future Learn MOOC) and helped to implement a new training model for this assessment across women’s centers in the UK.

She has created the “Gendered Well-being Assessment” a trauma-informed quality of life assessment providing a comprehensive assessment of risks and needs in health seeking women, aimed to predict and prevent further adverse life events, and (mental) ill health. This project will shortly move into Phase II where it is implemented and validated in conjunction with statutory agencies, and in the third sector.

From 2025 she will be leading a three-year mixed-methods evaluation of the Birmingham Pathfinder service, including a matched-group trial and qualitative mapping of the service ecosystem. This will include the design and development of a Family Needs Assessment (FNA) as part of the evaluation framework.

Dr Ruprai is also currently researching complex post-traumatic stress (CPTSD), adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and multiple critical adverse life events and their psychiatric sequelae.

Dr. Ruprai is a Research Fellow on the Women's Risk Need Assessment (WRNA) project, investigating Trauma and Health in justice involved women, with multiple complex needs, such as substance misuse and mental health difficulties. She is currently tasked with creating a new training program for the Women's Risk Need Assessment, research into complex post-traumatic stress (cPTSD) and adverse childhood experience (ACE) research (creating an assessment to predict and prevent ill health and adverse life outcomes).

Research Interests:

Dr Ruprai is interested in neuropsychiatry, in particular complex trauma (cPTSD), psychosis and personality disorders. She is also interested in neuroplasticity, particularly the impact on adverse childhood experiences and accumulative adverse life experiences on brain functioning and their psychosocial moderators and mitigators.

Registered Graduate Member, British Psychological Society (MBPsS), Membership Number BPS_487299

Associate Member, British Neuropsychological Society (BNS), Membership Number BNS_662

Mental Health First Aider (registered 2021-2024)