FELS Inaugural Lecture with Professor Lyn Ellett Event

Time:

3:30pm

Date:

2026-06-10 15:30:00

Venue:

University of Southampton, Centenary Building (100), University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ

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Event details

This is the sixth Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences Inaugural Lecture in our 2025-26 series that celebrates the careers of our newly appointed Professors. On Wednesday 10th June 2026, Professor Lyn Ellett from the School of Psychology and Professor Owen Rackham from the School of Biological Sciences will present their research. Details of both lectures are available via the booking link.

Professor Lyn Ellett

Are we all paranoid?  A journey into the psychology of paranoia.

Paranoia—often experienced as a sense of threat, mistrust or suspicion about the intentions of others —can be understood not just as a symptom of mental health conditions such as psychosis and schizophrenia, but also as a common human experience that exists on a continuum. In this inaugural lecture, Professor Lyn Ellett will show how the findings from her research have helped to challenge the idea of paranoia as an “all or nothing” clinical phenomenon and instead position it as a phenomenon influenced by everyday psychological processes.  The lecture will map the journey from the basic science behind how paranoia develops to the design and evaluation of innovative psychological therapies —illustrating how rigorous science can drive compassionate, empowering support for those experiencing paranoia and psychosis.

Biography

Professor Lyn Ellett obtained her PhD in Psychology from the University of Exeter and subsequently completed a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at KCL.  She worked full time in the NHS as a Clinical Psychologist for a year and then joined Royal Holloway, University of London as a Lecturer, where she worked for 14 years.  Lyn joined UoS in 2022 and is now a Professor of Psychology and Mental Health in the School of Psychology and recently gained Principal Fellowship of the HEA.  She also serves as Deputy Head of the School (Education).  She has over 20 years of experience in academic research and clinical practice where she has made internationally leading contributions to understanding paranoia and developing mindfulness-based therapy for people with psychosis.