“Along with my studies, mental health activism has given me a sense of purpose as a means of personal and public empowerment.”
I am Aglaia, a first-year President’s Scholar in the Division of Psychiatry. I moved to London in 2017 to pursue my BSc at UCL. When my mental health started to decline, I had to interrupt my studies. In 2018, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but with the appropriate support, I eventually graduated. My mental health struggles fuelled my interest in psychiatry and public health.
I joined Imperial in 2021 to study for an MSc in Translational Neuroscience and then a Master’s in Public Health to equip myself for a career in mental health research. As part of my PhD, I am investigating the potential of delivering digital behavioural interventions to support adolescents’ mental health, supervised by Professor Dasha Nicholls. This project integrates clinical, social and data science, and it is a great example of the university’s cross-faculty research collaborations. I am looking forward to what awaits me next on my PhD journey!
Along with my studies, mental health activism has given me a sense of purpose as a means of personal and public empowerment. I am particularly dedicated to advocating for better mental health support for university students as the Mental Health Officer at Imperial College London’s Student Union, where I co-lead the development of Imperial’s first institutional mental health strategy. I am very proud of this work and grateful to have been awarded the Student Outstanding Achievement Award last year. As part of my policy efforts, I am an advisor to the mental health charity Student Minds and Rethink Mental Illness. I even got the chance to talk about mental health with The Royal Family!
After work, you will likely find me at the gym lifting weights or running. I also love reading and writing poetry. And as I am Italian, I always enjoy a good pizza on weekends!