Dr. Isabel Morales-Munoz, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in Psychology, based at the Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, at the University of Birmingham. Isabel has a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, from the University of Deusto, Bilbao (Spain). She completed her MSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology at the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain), and her MSc in Psychopathology and Health at the National University of Distance Education (Spain). Her PhD was in the neuropsychological and neurophysiological bases of cognitive disorders in First Episode Psychosis, at the Complutense University of Madrid. After completing her PhD, she joined the University of Helsinki (Finland) as postdoctoral fellow, and subsequently, she joined the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in Helsinki, as postdoctoral fellow. In April 2018, she was awarded the Academy of Finland postdoctoral research fellow, to investigate sleep development in early childhood and the links between sleep and neurodevelopmental and mental health problems in children. In June 2022, she joined the School of Psychology as Assistant Professor, after spending 4 years as honorary research fellow at the Institute for Mental Health, at the University of Birmingham.
Isabel’s main research focuses on understanding mental health problems in young people, and ways to improve mental health. Currently, she focuses more specifically on understanding sleep problems in children and young people and how sleep problems can be a risk factor for developing mental health problems. In addition, she is working on early detection and better treatments for mental health. Isabel is the Mood Disorders Deputy Lead of the Mental Health Mission-Midlands Translational Centre, and has been the Co-Chair of the Midlands Sleep Group from 2020 until 2024.