Dr. Jessica Lorimer

Biography

Jessica is a qualitative researcher whose work explores the ethics of school-based mental health interventions. Her research examines topics such as the use of EdTech for suicide prediction and the role of nature-based programs in secondary schools. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges psychology, education, policy, and bioethics. Jessica employs a variety of qualitative methods, including interviews, Deliberative Policy Workshops, grounded theory, and co-production with young people, teachers, and policy professionals. She is committed to working with communities at both local and national levels, fostering collaborative relationships to ensure that research findings are relevant, inclusive, and capable of informing meaningful change. In her role at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI), Jessica teaches the Qualitative Methods module in the MSc Evidence-Based Social Intervention Policy Evaluation (EBSIPE) program. Her teaching practice is shaped by a strong commitment to inclusive pedagogy and a desire to diversify teaching at Oxford. Jessica has contributed to widening participation schemes at the university, including the UNIQ+ program and Balliol Frontiers. Prior to joining DSPI, she was a postdoctoral researcher within the Agile Initiative Sprint at the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, collaborating with the Department of Education in a research–policy partnership that led the Agile strand NeurOx Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG), which promotes young people’s participation in healthcare research.

Research Interests

Experience