Biography
Dr Caitlyn Donaldson is a researcher based within DECIPHer in the School of Social and Spatial Sciences at Cardiff University. Her research centres on child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on the role of schools in shaping health and developmental outcomes. Her PhD examined young people's mental health during the transition from primary to secondary school, exploring the factors that support wellbeing during this important period of change. Dr Donaldson has extensive experience in the quantitative analysis of large-scale survey and longitudinal data and has worked across a range of school-based and population health research projects. Her research interests include school connectedness, mental health promotion, family and peer relationships, and the social and environmental determinants of health and wellbeing among children and young people. Her work combines rigorous quantitative methods with a strong commitment to producing research that is meaningful and useful for schools, policymakers and communities.