Dr Ellen Henderson

Overview

Dr Ellen M. Henderson is a Lecturer in Health Psychology within the School of Psychology at Ulster University. She is interested in the psychology of pain and symptoms in adults and children, the wellbeing of parental caregivers of children with medical complexity, and children's oncology and palliative care.
Ellen graduated in 2013 with a PhD from the University of Bath exploring the psychology of child pain. Before joining Ulster University in 2021, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of the West of England (2013–2014) and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Louis Dundas Centre for Children's Palliative Care within the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (2014–2021). She currently holds an Honorary Research Fellow position at UCL.

Research Focus

Dr Henderson’s primary research focus is on paediatric and adult health psychology, specifically centred around chronic symptom management, quality of life, and the psychosocial needs of complex care cohorts and their families. Her methodological approach spans a diverse range of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods techniques, including interviews, focus groups, surveys, ethnography, co-production, and feasibility studies.

Research Interests

Her broader research interests involve examining the longitudinal trajectories of pain and wellbeing, particularly for children and young people, neurodivergent populations and individuals with learning disabilities. Much of her current work addresses the intersection of healthcare provision, family support, and intervention pathways to enhance good health and well-being (aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3).

Research Awards

Dr Henderson has secured external funding from various charitable trusts and councils, including:

• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) NINE DTP (2024–2028): Development of a holistic tool to measure the impact of pain in adults with cerebral palsy across the lifespan (PI).
• The British Academy / Leverhulme (2024–2026): Getting Through Aversive Episodes: Cognitive Predictors of Pain Perception and Tolerance (Co-I).
• Baily Thomas Charitable Fund (2024–2025): Developmental trajectories of pain in young adults with Down Syndrome, Autism, and Learning Disabilities (PI).
• Alice’s Arc (2021–2023): Collaborative pathways to improve sleep for parents of children with life-limiting conditions (PI).

Teaching

Dr Henderson is the Course Director for the MSc in Health Psychology. She is the module coordinator and lecturer for Social, Cultural and Family Perspectives in Health Psychology (PSY738), and teaches on Introduction to Research Methods (PSY105). She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (having completed her PG Cert in Higher Education Practice in 2024) and is currently completing an MEd in Higher Education (due for completion in 2027).

Research Supervision

She actively supervises postgraduate research, including MSc dissertations and PhD researchers focusing on the psychosocial needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer, health and wellbeing trajectories, and chronic pain management.

Personal Information

Ellen is a firm advocate for work-life balance, operating under the principle that "you can't do a good job if your job is all you do." She believes that impactful, high-quality research is the product of a well-rested, happy, and healthy mind. Outside of her academic roles, she prioritises switching off by spending time in nature with her family, working in her vegetable garden, and baking with her children.