The Team
The project team is made up of a number of academic researchers, and our Young People’s Forum (our young researchers). We also have a number of non-academic partners who have agreed to support the project and help to translate the findings into policy and practice change.
Nina Vaswani
(She/Her)
Nina is the Principal Investigator on the Men Minds Project, providing overall project management and leading on the young men in conflict with the law strand of the work. She is Senior Research Fellow and the Research Lead at the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice. Nina’s research interests include the experience and impact of loss, bereavement and trauma in young people and how these experiences interface and shape contact with the justice system. Of particular interest is the overrepresentation of young men in justice-settings, and how their exposure to loss, bereavement and trauma might shape their developing masculinities, identities, behaviours and outcomes. She is also interested in institutional and organisational responses to trauma, and the realities of trauma-informed approaches in practice.
(She/Her)
Daniela is Co-Investigator on the Men Minds Project, leading on the young migrant strand of the work. She is Professor of Youth, Migration and Social Justice in the School of Social Work & Social Policy at the University of Strathclyde. Daniela's research interests include young people's rights and participation, approaches to tackling social inequalities, migration policies and migrants' rights and how we improve the inclusion of marginalised groups in society. She has led many research projects with young people and their families, with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, British Academy, Save the Children and the Scottish Government.
Matthew Maycock
(He/Him)
Matthew is Co-Investigator on the Men Minds Project, leading on the LGBTQI+ strand of the work. He is a senior lecturer in Criminology at Monash University, Melbourne. He was previously a Baxter Fellow in Community Education at the University of Dundee and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, as well as previously working within the criminal justice system in Scotland as a Learning and Development Researcher at the Scottish Prison Service. Matthew undertook his PhD at the University of East Anglia in an ongoing study that analysed modern slavery in Nepal through the theoretical lens of masculinity. Throughout various studies, Matthew has consistently worked on gender issues with critical studies on men and masculinity being a particular focus.
Julie Cameron
(She/Her)
Julie is Co-Investigator on the Men Minds Project and has 20 years’ experience in public mental health. Julie is committed to promoting human rights and improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable groups who experience inequalities, stigma and discrimination. As the Associate Director for MHF in Scotland Julie oversees strategic development and operational delivery. Julie has previously worked as a Research Consultant and also worked within the NHS GGC Child and Youth Health Improvement Team where she developed youth involvement structures for the NHS and established youth specific health services.
Julie is a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy of Scotland and currently sits on the RSE health inequalities advisory group. She is also a Trustee for Nemo Arts and continues to be involved in Scotland wide strategic developments which has included co-chair of the Scottish Government Advisory Group on Good Body Image and the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group.
Leyla Kerlaff
(She/Her)
Leyla joined Men Minds in March 2024 as Research Associate
Leyla’s previous role was as a Research Fellow at Queen Margaret University working from 2019-2024 across two AMIF funded practice-research partnerships in the Migration Integration and Social Connection Team; New Scots: A Pathway to Social and Economic Inclusion, and the Family Reunion and Integration Service. Leyla also conducted a review of the Healing Neighbourhoods project on behalf of Freedom for Torture.
Leyla’s background is in social anthropology and migration research with a key interest in the role of place in processes of local integration and social connectedness. She is also interested in using and developing visual and participative methodologies. She has worked extensively in the field of social justice as a senior researcher in the Scottish Government and for Barnardo’s. Leyla also practices as a trained life coach and Iyengar yoga teacher part-time. Image and the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group.
The Young People’s Forum
To join the YPF you must identify as a man aged 16-24, and have lived experience of being one or more of the following:
A young person in conflict with the law,
A young migrant
LGBTQ+
If you are interested in being involved, or want to know more, you can read our flyer
or contact men-minds@strath.ac.uk
