Lecturer in Psychology
I graduated from Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan, and pursued my master’s in psychology and MS in Clinical Psychology from Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan. I completed my PhD in 2017 with a particular emphasis on psychosocial predictors of Postnatal Blues and Postnatal Depression in Pakistani women from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan.
I joined the University of Sunderland as a lecturer in 2022 after an enriched teaching experience at Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman. Before that, I was a lecturer at Beaconhouse National University and later as an assistant professor University of Management and Technology, Lahore.
As an educator from an ethnic background (Pakistan), I am making a significant contribution to the field by designing modules and educating psychology to my students in the intersectionality framework to foster cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. This unique approach, which draws from my learning and work experience in Pakistan and Oman, has the potential to decolonise psychology and invite research and intervention initiatives from students, prospective clinicians, and researchers here in England.
I am route leader for clinical psychology, where I oversee curriculum, support student progression, and ensure the quality and relevance of the clinical content in alignment with professional standards, particularly BPS. This involves liaising with colleagues and placement providers to maintain a strong practice-informed academic route for aspiring clinical psychologists who can work in and outside the UK.
As the psychology team's Media Engagement Lead, I coordinate our public-facing communication strategy. This includes managing our online presence, enhancing engagement through digital storytelling aimed at prospective students, alumni, and the wider community, and overseeing the entire operation of the blog, including the publishing schedule, correspondence with writers/bloggers, design of the interface, editing, approving, and publishing content.
I have earned and completed Aurora, a prestigious training programme from Advance HE, England, for women in leadership positions. I am also a certified workplace mediator.
Teaching and supervision
- Introduction to mental health
- Clinical Practice
- Patient Engagement and Reflective Practice
- Mental Health and Psychopathology
- Approaches to Mental Health
- Clinical Practice and Governance
- Mind Social world: Developmental, Social and Cognitive Psychology
- From Research to Reality
- Life and Loss
Research interests for potential research students
I am interested in male psychology, masculinity, and toxic masculinity. How being socialised as men in different cultures can affect the mental health of males. i.e., in what ways the stereotypical mindsets and behaviours expected of men in patriarchal cultures are related to adverse effects on men themselves?
Research
PhD contributions:
After completing my PhD from BNU in 2017, I have dedicated my career to advancing clinical psychology and understanding psychopathology as a clinical practitioner, teacher, and researcher, first in Pakistan, followed by working in Oman and now in the UK’s higher education. I explored the cultural expressions of depression in the postnatal phase for Pakistani women and devised a robust screening protocol for women who could be at risk of developing postnatal blues and depression, as my PhD research, which is the first of its kind in Pakistan. This work has been published (Afzal & Khalid, 2014; 2016; 2022) and is in the process of publication in various national and international journals (under review: Journal of Depression and Anxiety).
Innovative AI-driven solutions:
Designed and running a collaborative research project with engineering, computing, and artificial intelligence professionals at the University of Sunderland on transformative AI applications in mental health. The AI Models Leverage Machine Learning and Deep Learning to predict postnatal depression during the first trimester, addressing time constraints faced by gynaecologists in Pakistan and enhancing mental health care. This reach-out plan is for the betterment of the mental health sector of Pakistan by bringing professionals from Sunderland on board.
Redefining masculinity project:
Secured funding as lead researcher for a project aimed at redefining masculinity and exploring the societal challenges influenced by figures like Andrew Tate. The initiative builds on earlier work, including health issues of transgender people in Pakistan, and toxic masculinity expressions on X (2024).
Supervisions in research:
I am actively involved in research supervision at all levels and have supervised multiple undergraduate and Postgraduate research projects. I am currently supervising a PhD thesis on motherhood.
Publications
Article
Afzal, Sidra, ul- Haq, Inam, Ilyas, Uzma, Miah, Jolel and Obuju, Okeme Phillip (2024) From Hostility to Vulnerability: Twitter's Shifting Discourse on Masculinity and its Implications. Applied Psychology Review, 3 (2). pp. 98-121. ISSN 2959-1597
Afzal, Sidra and Khalid, Ruhi (2023) Indigenizing the Postnatal Blues in Pakistani Context: A Psychometric Study. Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20 (02). pp. 14-24.
- Psychopathology
- Cultural expressions of mental illness
- Clinical practice