About us
CATS centre combines the expertise from the departments of Psychology and Criminology at Middlesex University to provide high quality research, consultancy, practice training, media dissemination, and knowledge exchange in a broad range of abuse and trauma related topics across the lifespan. Our research models utilises attachment, stress, socio-ecological and lifespan models in the context of health, social care and criminal justice to inform practice and policy. We utilise a range of research methods including those online for the digital age.
We are located in the Town Hall (room TG47), Middlesex University, The Boroughs, Hendon London NW4 4BT.
What we do
We undertake both academic and applied research projects in areas of stress, health and cyberbullying. We can provide bespoke research projects and consultancy.
Short training courses on assessment (e.g. child neglect/abuse; attachment style; parenting; internet offenders and risk) and methods (around assessment, self-evaluation and research tools) and consultancy for researchers and practitioners. Workshops on abuse and trauma and related topics (child safeguarding; attachment; parenting; internet abuse; interviewing child victims; risk assessment of serious offenders).
We provide service evaluations in a wide range of areas, including: child safeguarding and Looked After services; police practice with vulnerable victims; educational services around abuse prevention; interagency working of professionals; youth services.
Areas of focus
Studies of how trauma impacts on mental health, specifically suicide, depression and PTSD.
Intra-familial child sexual abuse, young people and trust in the police, child victims in the investigative process, child trafficking, community support for offenders and their families.
OUR TEAM
DIRECTORS
Lisa Marzano is a Professor of Psychology and until recently Theme Director for Equity and Improvements in Health and Wellbeing at Middlesex University. For over twenty years she has worked closely with a range of stakeholders, academic collaborators and experts by lived experience to develop an interdisciplinary evidence-base to reduce suicides and self-harm in safe, effective and more compassionate ways. She has held a number of large research grants. Current areas of work include a focus on suicidal behaviour and ‘life-saving interventions’ in public places, ‘online harms’ and technological innovations in suicide prevention, and timely monitoring of suspected suicides at local and national level.
Elena Martellozzo is a Professor in Criminology who has been working in the area of cyber violence for 15+ years and is now recognised as a world leading expert in the area, focusing primarily on online harms, online safety and is involved in policy debates at the intersection of technology and human behaviour. One of Elena’s key focuses is to develop innovative research and sharing her findings in international fora. She continually attracts research funding in highly sensitive areas with government departments including the police, the Internet Watch Foundation, the NSPCC, the Children Commissioner for England, the Home Office. She has acted as an advisor on child online protection and online violence against women and girls to governments and practitioners in Italy (since 2004) and Bahrain (2016) to support the development of national child internet safety policy frameworks. Elena is a lead researcher in the area and has led a number of high impact project, nationally and internationally. As a published peer-reviewed author, and well-established national and international Criminologist, she is regularly invited as a speaker by the BBC, New York Post, Sunday Times, The Guardian, Channel 4, Radio 4, ITV, The Times Radio.
Elena is a published author and delivers regularly expert seminars in schools to pupils, parents and teachers on online safety and prevention. She also develops specialised training workshops for police officers and front line professionals working in the online safety and sexual health area.
Dr. Mahdi Aiash is an Associate Professor in Computer Science and Cybersecurity with extensive expertise in practical cybersecurity, AI-driven security, and exploitation research. He leads the Cybersecurity Research Group at Middlesex University and has a strong background in industry collaboration, hands-on training, and research.
As Director of Technology Safety and Digital Security at CATS, Dr. Aiash plays a key role in integrating cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions into the Centre’s mission of addressing online harms, exploitation, and digital safety. His research focuses on AI for cybersecurity, threat intelligence, penetration testing, and safeguarding digital environments from emerging risks.
Dr. Aiash has led several high-impact projects funded by Innovate UK, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and other national and international bodies, focusing on:
- AI-Driven Cybersecurity – Investigating the use of AI for both offensive and defensive security, including AI-powered cyber threats and countermeasures.
- Threat Intelligence and Cybercrime Investigations – Developing techniques for detecting and mitigating cyber threats
- Next-Gen Cyber Defences – Exploring how emerging technologies, such as quantum computing and autonomous systems, impact cybersecurity.
- Secure Digital Infrastructures – Working with government and industry partners to enhance the security of critical national infrastructure and defence systems.
His leadership at CATS contributes to advancing technology-driven safety measures, policy recommendations, and capacity building to tackle evolving threats in the digital age.
HONORARY MEMBERS AND FOUNDERS OF CATS (2008)
Prof Antonia Bifulco is a psychologist who has worked in the area of clinical disorder and psycho-social risk across the lifespan since 1980. Her PhD studies at Bedford College, University of London focused on the long term impact of childhood loss of mother on depression. Her career developed in the Social Research Team headed by Prof George Brown and Tirril Harris, investigating life stress, vulnerability and depression in women. In 1990 on Prof Brown’s retirement she took over the team renamed the ‘Lifespan Research Group’ and completed an MRC programme grant. The team continued with a more applied focus after that time, working together with voluntary and statutory health and social care agencies to help improve assessment and practice.
Prof Bifulco’s research has been published widely in international peer reviewed journals. Her book co-authored with CATS member Geraldine Thomas Understanding Adult Attachment in Families (2012, Routledge) summarises 30 years of academic and applied research. In addition, Wednesday’s Child (Bifulco & Moran, 1998, Routledge) is still a primary text for students and researchers in the area of long terms effect of childhood neglect and abuse, recently translated into Italian. The Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) interview was developed by Toni Bifulco as a standardised interview tool for collecting information on abuse in early life. This is increasingly used by practitioners in forensic, social work and psychological fields. Another publication Entrepreneurship for Everyone (2009, Mellor, Coulton, Chick, Bifulco, Mellor & Fisher, Sage) examines the issue of knowledge exchange and how university research can be used to help develop practice.
Prof Bifulco is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, is an associate fellow of the BPS and is a Chartered Psychologist, and has a visiting Professorship at Palermo University, Italy.
Books:
- Bifulco, Antonia (2017) Identity, attachment and resilience: Exploring three generations of a Polish family. Routledge, London and New York.
- Webster, Stephen and Davidson, Julia and Bifulco, Antonia (2014) Online offending behaviour and child victimisation: new findings and policy. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Antonia Bifulco and Geraldine Thomas ( 2012) Understanding Adult Attachment in Family Relationships: Research, Assessment and Intervention. Routledge.
Journal articles:
- Bifulco, Antonia and Frost, Nollaig (2019) Impacts of childhood maltreatment in adulthood. Maltrattamento E Abuso All’infanzia: Rivista Interdisciplinare. Child Abuse and Maltreatment: Interdisciplinary Journal (2). pp. 7-11. ISSN 1591-4267
- Bifulco, Antonia and Kagan, Lisa and Spence, Ruth and Nunn, Stephen and Bailey-Rodriguez, Deborah and Hosang, Georgina M. and Taylor, Matthew and Fisher, Helen L. (2019) Characteristics of severe life events, attachment style, and depression – Using a new online approach. British Journal of Clinical Psychology , 58 (4). pp. 427-439. ISSN 0144-6657
- Bifulco, Antonia , Damiani, Rachele, Jacobs, Catherine, Bunn, Amanda and Spence, Ruth (2019) Partner violence in women – associations with childhood maltreatment, attachment style and major depression. Maltrattamento E Abuso All’infanzia: Rivista Interdisciplinare | Child Abuse and Maltreatment: Interdisciplinary Journal (2) . pp. 13-28. ISSN 1591-4267
- Spence, Ruth , Kagan, Lisa and Bifulco, Antonia (2019) A contextual approach to trauma experience: lessons from life events research. Psychological Medicine, 49 (9) . pp. 1409-1413. ISSN 0033-2917
- Jacobs, Catherine, Boyce, Nichola, Ilan-Clarke, Yael and Bifulco, Antonia (2019) Assessing attachment style in traumatized adolescents in residential care: A case approach. Maltrattamento E Abuso All’infanzia: Rivista Interdisciplinare | Child Abuse and Maltreatment: Interdisciplinary Journal (1) . pp. 39-54. ISSN 1591-4267
- Bifulco, Antonia and Frost, Nollaig (2019) Impacts of maltreatment in adolescence. Maltrattamento E Abuso All’infanzia: Rivista Interdisciplinare | Child Abuse and Maltreatment: Interdisciplinary Journal (1) . pp. 7-10. ISSN 1591-4267
- Bifulco, Antonia , Jacobs, Catherine, Oskis, Andrea , Cavana, Francesca and Spence, Ruth (2019) Lifetime trauma, adversity and emotional disorder in older age women. Maltrattamento E Abuso All’infanzia: Rivista Interdisciplinare | Child Abuse and Maltreatment: Interdisciplinary Journal (2) . pp. 29-43. ISSN 1591-4267
- Bifulco, Antonia , Spence, Ruth, Nunn, Stephen , Kagan, Lisa, Bailey-Rodriguez, Deborah , Hosang, Georgina M., Taylor, Matthew and Fisher, Helen L. (2019) Web-based measure of life events using computerized life events and assessment record (CLEAR): preliminary cross-sectional study of reliability, validity, and association with depression. JMIR Mental Health, 6 (1) , e10675. ISSN 2368-7959
- Spence, Ruth, Jacobs, Catherine and Bifulco, Antonia (2018) Attachment style, loneliness and depression in older age women. Aging and mental health . ISSN 1360-7863
- Bifulco, Antonia , Jacobs, Catherine, Ilan-Clarke, Yael, Spence, Ruth and Oskis, Andrea (2017) Adolescent attachment style in residential care: the attachment style interview and vulnerable attachment style questionnaire. British Journal of Social Work, 47 . pp. 1880-1883. ISSN 0045-3102
- Spence, Ruth and Bunn, Amanda and Nunn, Stephen and Hosang, Georgina and Kagan, Lisa and Fisher, Helen L. and Taylor, Matthew and Bifulco, Antonia (2015) Measuring life events and their association with clinical disorder: a protocol for development of an online approach. JMIR Research Protocols, 4 (3). e83.
- Schimmenti, Adriano and Bifulco, Antonia (2015) Linking lack of care in childhood to anxiety disorders in emerging adulthood: the role of attachment styles. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 20 (1).
- Bifulco, Antonia and Schimmenti, Adriano and Jacobs, Catherine and Bunn, Amanda and Rusu, Adina C. (2014) Risk factors and psychological outcomes of bullying victimization: a community-based study. Child Indicators Research.
- Bifulco, Antonia and Schimmenti, Adriano and Moran, Patricia and Jacobs, Catherine and Bunn, Amanda and Rusu, Adina Carmen (2014) Problem parental care and teenage deliberate self-harm in young community adults. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 78 (2). pp. 95-114.
For full list of research publications visit Prof Bifulco’s university profile page.
STAFF
Ruth has worked in partnership with charities, industry and third sector organisations using a range of online methodologies and analytic techniques to create insights from data. She has published on the determinants of mental health, including life events and the psychological effects of online content.
Paula is a published, peer reviewed author, specialising in the field of online harms, child sexual abuse and exploitation, stalking, sexual violence, offender pathways and adolescent digital behaviours. She has a keen interest in understanding sexual behaviours in cyberspace and how our safeguarding policies and policing practices need to evolve to meet the challenges of the Metaverse. She provides private online harms consultation to public, private, and civil service organisations, both in the UK and abroad.
Paula has also presented to the international Ministry of Justice on Online Harms and the risks of Violence Against Women and Girls in a digital age, conducted media panel discussions on the topic of risks through sexual image sharing platforms, and gives talks on sexual image sharing, legislation, policy and practice. Paula began her career working in Policing Intelligence as a Sexual Offences Analyst, and was the National Child Sexual Abuse Lead at Victim Support.
Boglárka Meggyesfalvi is a researcher and doctoral candidate, focusing on child protection and online harms. She is engaged in ongoing research projects that aim to influence policy and practice in the field of child online safety. Boglárka is a published author, having written peer-reviewed articles and practical guides that examine youth participation, policing social media, and critical issues such as child sexual exploitation and first-person generated intimate imagery.
With extensive experience in international project management and evaluation in the EU and Latin-America, Boglárka has successfully coordinated initiatives across multiple countries aimed at improving youth participation and child protection systems, as well as working in the areas of advocacy and legislative compliance.
She previously served as a Child Rights Representative senior officer for the Hungarian Home Office, where she engaged with high-ranking government officials to audit alternative care providers, and promote child rights initiatives. She contributed to the development of policies aimed at preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation online. Additionally, her work includes delivering training for police forces, professionals in educational settings, and organise expert seminars on safeguarding children online and offline.
Dr Erminia Colucci is Professor of Visual Psychology and Cultural & Global Mental Health at Middlesex University London and Adjunct Professor at Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia). She specializes in the socio-cultural-political contexts of suicidal behaviour and suicide prevention, with a focus on community-based prevention strategies, in low-and-middle-income countries, ethnic minorities, and refugee/displaced populations. Her other key interests are human rights in mental healthcare, domestic violence, spirituality and faith-based/traditional healing, and lived/living experiences of ‘mental illness’ and suicidal behaviour.
With a background in Cultural Psychiatry, Visual Anthropology and Clinical and Community Psychology, she is an applied activist researcher employing arts-based and visual methodologies, particularly photography and ethnographic film-documentary and participatory creative methods, in her research, teaching and advocacy activities.
Erminia founded Movie-ment and co-chairs the World Association of Cultural Psychiatry SIG on Arts, Mental Health, and Human Rights. For more info click here.
Jacob is a researcher specialising in AI and mental health, with a focus on crisis intervention and suicide prevention. His work explores the ethical and practical implications of AI-driven support tools, particularly with underserved groups. With expertise in qualitative and quantitative methods, he is investigating the role of emotional safety, human connection, and safeguarding in crisis response and suicide prevention.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Miranda Horvath, PhD, is Professor and Director of the Institute for Social Justice and Crime, at the University of Suffolk, UK. Miranda’s research interests are focused on violence against women and girls and the professionals and agencies who work with victim-survivors and perpetrators. Miranda is the founder of the Violence Against Women and Girls Research Network.
Dr. Kari Davies is a Principal Academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University, UK. Her research interests lie in forensic behavioural psychology, and her recent work has looked at how rape and serious sexual assault offences are investigated in the UK and how behavioural crime linkage is conducted at an international level.
Research exploring the efficacy of a recently introduced Stalking Screening Tool across police forces in the UK.
Larysa is an expert in war trauma and its impacts and has undertaken funded projects on ‘Moral Injury and Healing of Combatants: Neuropsychological Correlates and Psychological Interventions’ and ‘Veteran Transition from Military to Civilian Life’. She is also interested in transgenerational transmission of risk and has investigated ‘Moral Injury and Resilience: a Comparative Study with Offspring of Holodomor and Holocaust Survivors’. She is also expert on ‘Cognitive Behavioral and Psycholinguistic Techniques for Traumatic Memory Reorganization’.
Larysa collaborates with Prof Antonia Bifulco on research exploring intergenerational impacts of trauma and on moral injury. They have presented and published together [Zasiekina, L., Duchyminska, T., Bifulco, A., & Bignardi, G. (2023). War trauma impacts in Ukrainian combat and civilian populations: Moral injury and associated mental health symptoms. Military Psychology, 1-12]. She is also a mentor for Dr Tamara Fedotiuk, Visiting Researcher at CATS.
Other publications
Zasiekina, L., Kokun, O., Hlova, I., & Bojko, M. (2023). Defining conceptual boundaries of moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder in military population: A systematic review. East European Journal of Psycholinguistics, 10 (1), 299-314. http://dx.doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2023.10.1.zas
Zasiekina, L., Zasiekin, S., & Kuperman, V. (2023). Post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury among Ukrainian civilians during the ongoing war. Journal of Community Health, 1-9.
POSTGRADUATE RESEARCHERS
Jude Smit is a registered and accredited Psychotherapist/Integrative Arts Psychotherapist, a Senior Lecturer for an Arts Psychotherapy Master’s programme at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE), University of East London, a Mental Health Advisor and a Psychology PhD candidate. She has extensive experience of working with complex trauma and she has been involved in various research projects and advocacy work within the education and health sectors over the last 20 years, with a particular focus on marginalised and under-represented voices. Jude’s current research is related to what we can learn from Further and Higher Education students’ lived experiences of attempted suicide. It is a mixed-methods project, which includes a focus on how using arts-based and visual methods, as part of Psychology research, can facilitate access to material that often goes unseen, unheard and unspoken. Jude actively promotes the value of the arts as a means to engage unspoken voices and uses the arts and visual methods in her research and teaching to challenge and reduce stigma. She presents and teaches at national and international conferences, seminars and workshops.
VISITING RESEARCHERS
Postdoctoral visiting researcher from Hacettepe University in Turkey, with expertise as a social worker and specialist in gender studies and violence against women. Basak is here for 12 months on a sabbatical to September 2025, researching the experience of clients and staff in Rape Crisis Centres in the UK. Her supervisors are Dr Jeffrey DeMarco and Prof Antonia Bifulco.
Innovative music therapy project helps displaced Ukraine and Afghan families | Middlesex University
CATS PARTNERS
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Get in touch
Centre for Abuse, Trauma & Suicide studies (CATS), Town Hall (room TG47), Middlesex University, The Boroughs, Hendon London NW4 4BT