Alana James

Dr Alana James is an Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Reading. Her research expertise centres around student wellbeing, particularly support for autistic students and those with mental health conditions. Alana’s research has also focused upon peer support and mentoring, looking at university mentoring, peer-based parenting interventions and peer support systems to target bullying in schools.

Alana won the inaugural Higher Education Psychology Teacher of the Year Award in 2019, run by the Division for Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology in the British Psychological Society. Within the University of Reading she has been awarded the University Teaching Fellowship prize for excellence in teaching, learning and student support.

Outside of the University of Reading, Alana has held roles within the British Psychological Society (BPS) Undergraduate Education Committee and the Developmental Psychology Section Committee. She is currently part of the University Mental Health Charter Assessor team with Student Minds and has previously been on the Advisory Board for the Students Against Depression website (part of the Charlie Waller Trust).

Alana delivers training in research methods for education professionals and has co-authored a textbook, Understanding Quantitative and Qualitative Research in Psychology, for Oxford University Press.