Position/Status

Professor of the Psychology of Education and Mental Health

E-mail Address

gth25@cam.ac.uk

Qualifications

• 1998 Doctor of Philosophy, Psychology, Cardiff University.
• 1993 Master of Science, Family Studies and Child Development, Iowa State University.
• 1991 Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Iowa State University.

Academic Appointments

• 2020+: Professor of the Psychology of Education and Mental Health, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
• 2013-20: Andrew and Virginia Rudd Chair in Psychology; Director, Rudd Centre for Adoption Research and Practice, School of Psychology, University of Sussex
• 2011-2013: Professor of Developmental Psychopathology and Quantitative Behaviour Genetics, School of Psychology, University of Leicester
• 2008-2011: Alexander McMillan Chair and Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Director, Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of Otago
• 1998-2008: Lecturer (1998-2002) Senior Lecturer (2003-2005), Reader (2006-2007), Professor (2008), School of Psychology, Cardiff University

Honorary Appointments

• 2021+: Full Visiting Professor, School of Medicine, University College Dublin (UCD)

Membership of Professional Bodies/Associations

• Member, Scientific Advisory Committee (Methods Advisory Group, MAG), Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), UK Government.
• Member, Changing Policy and Practice Panel, Medical Research Foundation.

Profile

Gordon is the inaugural Professor of the Psychology of Education and Mental Health at the University of Cambridge, having previously held appointments as the Andrew and Virginia Rudd Chair and Professor of Psychology at the University of Sussex, the Alexander McMillan Chair and Professor of Childhood Studies at the University of Otago (NZ), and Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at Cardiff University.

His primary research interests and activities focus on examining the role of family relationship dynamics as a factor underlying differences in child and adolescent mental health outcomes and development (e.g., academic attainment), understanding the interplay between genetic factors and family relationship experiences and young people’s mental health, and promoting the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based practice and policy guidelines aimed at enhancing mental health outcomes for children, young people, parents/carers and families.

Academic Area/Links

• Psychology and Education (P&E), Faculty of Education
• Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Psychology
• Cambridge Public Health, University Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC, Co-Director)
• Bennett School of Public Policy
• Centre for Science and Policy (CsaP)
• Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics

Research Topics

• Examining the role of family, school, community and individual factors underlying child and adolescent mental health and development
• Examining the interplay between genetic factors, pre-natal, post-natal environmental factors and child and adolescent mental health outcomes
• Utilising advanced statistical methods to examine longitudinal data resources specific to understanding lifespan development and mental health
• Promoting the development and implementation of evidence-informed practice and policy guidelines and recommendations aimed at enhancing mental health outcomes for children and adolescents

Prospective PhD Applications

Gordon is currently not available to receive new PhD applications.

Current - Ongoing Research Project(s)

• Harold, G.T., Coyle, D., Aston, Zhao,, Q (2023-2028. The Future of Work – Enhancing Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace. KPMG, (£3,190,432).
• Harold, G. T (2020-2027). Developing an Integrated and Interdisciplinary Practice-Based Training Model aimed at Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Children, Parents and Families. Rudd Family Foundation (£3 million)
• Harold, G. T., Livingstone, S., Perez-Vallejos, E., Ford, T., Sonuga-Barke, E., & Hollis, C. (2018-2022). The Nurture Network: Promoting Young People’s Mental Health in a Digital World. UKRI-Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (£1,249,936).
• Harold, G. T., Hampden-Thompson, G., Watters, C., & Cassell, J. (2017-2022). Developing an Integrated and Interdisciplinary Practice-Based Training Model aimed at Improving Mental Health Outcomes for Children, Parents and Families. Rudd Family Foundation (£1,500,000).
• Horwood, J., R., Boden, J., O’Donovan, M., & Harold, G. T., (2016-2021). The Christchurch Health and Development Study – Birth to 42 years. Health Research Council of New Zealand ($NZ 3,914,157).

Teaching

• Postgraduate
  • MPhil Lecturing (Psychology & Education)
• Undergraduate
  • Lecturing (Education Tripos): Learning and Human Development (Education, Psychology & Learning track)
  • Coordinate Development and Psychopathology paper for Education students (borrowed from Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos)

Recent Publications

McNicholas F, Gavin B, Sellers R, Ji, I., Zhang, X., Browne, W., Harold, G. T. (2024). Examining the mental health trajectories of children and adolescents: a cross-cohort analysis. Psychological Medicine, 54(15):4062-4070. doi:10.1017/S0033291724001624.

Leve, L. D, Oro V, Natsuaki, M. N, Harold, G. T, et al. (2024) The pernicious role of stress on intergenerational continuity of psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology. doi:10.1017/S0954579424000191.

Clarke, T., McLellan, R., & Harold, G. T. (2023). Beyond Life Satisfaction: Wellbeing Correlates of Adolescents’ Academic Attainment. School Psychology Review, 1–20 doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2023.2217980.

Leve, L. D., Anderson, D., Harold, G. T., Neiderhiser, J. M., Natsuaki, M. N., Shaw, D. S., . . . Reiss, D. (2022). Developmental profiles of child behavior problems from 18 months to 8 years: The protective effects of structured parenting vary by genetic risk. Development and Psychopathology, 34(5), 1716-1730. doi:10.1017/S0954579422000839.

Richards, A. L., Cardno, A., Harold, G. T., Craddock, N. J., Di Florio, A., Jones, L., . . . O'Donovan, M. C. (2022). Genetic liabilities differentiating bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and major depressive disorder, and phenotypic heterogeneity in bipolar disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(10), 1032-1039. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.2594

Thapar, A., Stewart-Brown, S., & Harold, G. T. (2021). What has happened to children's wellbeing in the UK? The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(1), 5-6. doi:10.1016/S2215 0366(20)30481-8.