Research Community

The International Centre for Moral Injury (ICMI) is an academic research centre formed to study and understand the causes and impacts of moral injury and dedicated to opening pathways to recovery.

It supports and promotes the development and dissemination of innovative research, pastoral resources and training methods around moral injury, helping to generate new partnerships and collaborations across the world in the furtherance of individual, institutional and societal well-being.

James Glen is a serving British Army late-entry officer and former Warrant Officer in the Scots Guards, as well as a second-year PhD student at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU). He is pursuing a Business Management doctoral program within ENU’s Military Research, Education & Public Engagement department, focusing on the career transition of British Army Service Leavers from military life to civilian employment. This research aims to challenge the Armed Forces’ narrow emphasis on immediate employment as the only measure of successful reintegration. The argument for defining transition success encompasses the development of sustainable career trajectories aligned with the service leavers’ identities, values, and long-term goals. This opportunity will blend operational experience with scholarly research on military strategy, public engagement, and the impact of political and international decisions on the Armed Forces, allowing James to contribute innovative insights and leadership to both military and academic communities.

Jemma Lakmaker is a PhD student at Manchester Metropolitan University exploring the experiences of ex-servicemen who became deaf in the First World War and how they were treated upon their return to society. Jemma aims to uncover the experiences of deaf ex-servicemen as a group whose voice is missing from the historical narrative. She is interested in the perceptions of deafness and how this continues to impact the deaf community today. Jemma is proficient in British Sign Language. Jemma is also a trustee for a charity working to ensure disabled people and people from disadvantaged backgrounds are given an equal voice in society and a platform on which to be heard.

Jenny is a Serving Officer in the British Army and has been employed as a mental health nurse working in clinical and management roles within the Ministry of Defence, Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH). She is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Health through the University of Bath exploring adjustment disorder in the military population. In 2024 Jenny joined the Academic Department of Military Mental Health at King's College London as a senior lecturer. Her research interests include military mental health, adjustment disorder, education and training, and female Veterans.

Jess is a PhD student at Swansea University. Her PhD focuses on understanding the lived experience of Service personnel, Veterans, and affected others coping with harm from gambling. The research aims to explore how external factors to the military may be linked to the veteran gambling population, to help identify how individuals may be at risk before they join the military but also during and after their service due to these external factors. More specifically it aims to understand what influence the family has on gambling behaviours. 

Jon Ablett is a PhD student at the University of Bristol investigating the relationship between Veterans and welfare in the UK, specifically as it relates to homelessness welfare provision and services. Jon’s interests lie in housing theory and policy, especially as it relates to homelessness. He has assisted on research involving homeless Veterans with Dr Edward Kirton-Darling and Professor Helen Carr. This included research on local authorities in London and whether they were offering the correct legal information to homeless Veterans on their websites and within their relevant strategies. This also resulted in a conference in London where the results were disseminated among members from local authorities, the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee and other interested parties. 

Kate Salem is a Senior Researcher at the Westminster Centre for Research in Veterans. She has experience conducting mixed-methods research and has led on multiple research projects related to health and well-being in the Armed Forces Community. Kate is also the wife of an Army veteran and is completing her PhD which explores the impact of Veterans' mental health experiences upon their partners, with the aim of highlighting the needs of the military partner population.

Katherine Lawrence is Head of Operations at the Service Children's Progression (SCiP) Alliance, bringing together researchers, policy-makers and funders. Katherine runs a UK-wide network of research-practice hubs focused on knowledge exchange around evidence-based practice supporting the educational progression of children and young people in Armed Forces families. In addition to supporting, disseminating and commissioning research in this space and translating it into impact, Katherine has an interest in international comparative research.

Katie is a third-year Trainee Clinical Psychologist at Coventry University/University of Warwick. She currently works clinically in the NHS alongside completing her thesis. Her thesis aims to explore the experiences of problematic eating and exercise behaviours in United Kingdom (UK) male veterans. These behaviours may include but are not restricted to, fasting (not for religious or cultural reasons), binge-eating/over-eating, laxative use, purging and excessive exercise.

The King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) is the leading civilian UK centre of excellence for military health research providing much-needed evidence on the health and well-being of Serving and ex-Serving personnel and their families. KCMHR’s research relates to conflict and health, occupational psychiatry, personnel issues and social policy. Their research is conducted in four key areas, Serving personnel, ex-Serving personnel, military families (including those of ex-Serving personnel) and interventions.

Kirsty Davies is a second year Doctorate of Education (EdD) student at the University of Winchester with a background in Primary Teaching and Teacher Training. Her husband serves in the British Army and she is currently based in Germany. At the moment, Kirsty is working on her pilot study; due to personal experiences, as a spouse of a serving soldier and mother of three Service children, as well as her professional roles, Kirsty’s research focuses on teachers’ knowledge, understanding and confidence in supporting the needs of Service children in a primary school setting.

Laura Grover is a Postdoctoral Research Associate who recently completed a mixed-methods PhD as part of the ADVANCE study at King’s College London. Her doctoral research focused on social support within the ADVANCE cohort - a prospective study examining the long-term psychosocial outcomes of military personnel who sustained combat injuries during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Her work explored differences in social support between injured and uninjured personnel and investigated how social support is associated with mental health and wellbeing. In her current role, Laura contributes to several projects on veteran health, with a particular emphasis on physical health and cognitive decline. She is committed to advancing research that improves understanding of veterans’ long-term health needs and informs evidence-based support.”