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Staff Profile

Dr Jessica Komes

Lecturer & Deputy Programme Director MSc Foundations in Clinical Psychology

  • Email: jessica.komes@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 20 83107
  • Address: Dr Jessi Komes (Wiese), she/her
    Lecturer & Deputy Programme Director
    International Tutor (PGT Programmes)
    Practitioner Psychologist (Psychotherapy)
    Translational & Clinical Research Institute
    Population & Health Sciences Institute
    School of Psychology
Background


I obtained my PhD degree in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience from Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Germany. I then held post-doctoral positions investigating Age and Ageing in Person Memory carried out in Jena and at Durham University before joining Newcastle University in 2019.

Carrying a background in (neuro-)cognitive psychology and having worked with a wide range of clients presenting with different physical (e.g. cancer), neurological (e.g., Parkinson's) and/or mental conditions (eating disorders, anxiety), I am interested in understanding the interactions of mind and body, i.e. interception and embodied awareness, in regards to health and disease as well as age-related changes. My research also sets out to apply this understanding to the design and development of prevention/intervention programmes which enhance mental health and wellbeing in the academic and other (clinical) contexts. 

I am experienced in body-integrative psychological practice (UKCP accredited Trainee Psychotherapist, Yoga/Meditation teacher and Yoga therapist). I was awarded two project grants from the JGW Patterson Foundation to set up and manage the first yoga and meditation cancer support group in Durham. I was involved in the health and wellbeing agenda of several colleges as well as the wellbeing and counselling services at Durham University and I am involved in staff wellbeing programmes at Newcastle University. I am a qualified counsellor and therapist.

If you have any queries, please get in touch. 

Research



Pairing my academic background with my applied expertise as practitioner, I set out to bridge a gap between (neuro-) cognitive and clinical psychology. I am aiming to further an understanding of interoception/interoceptive awareness - the sensing, appraising and responding of bodily signals in relation to various topics and encompass clinical as well non-clinical contexts. 


My research programme and respective collaborations span neuroscience, neurology, experimental as well as clinical and counselling psychology/psychotherapy. 


Related to my experimental research expertise I am looking at the relationship of pain, cognition and interoception using neuro- and psychophysiological data (collaborator: Dr Quoc Voung), as well as examining the interactions between interoception and emotional memory (together with Barbara-Anne Robertson). 


In collaboration with the Durham University Counselling Service, I have been working on a research project about a body-integrative programme for students suffering from anxiety.


Together with Prof Mark Freeston (Psychology) I am investigating the role of interoception in the experience of uncertainty, anxiety and distress. Together with a PGR student (Dani Payne, Trainee Clinical Psychologist) we are developing a body-integrative approach to further NHS treatment for anxiety and other disorders. 

 

Together with Dr Will Sedley (Clinical and Computational Neuroscience) I am supervising a PhD research project (Siobhan Jones, NHS funded) on migraine and potential underlying effects of altered interoceptive processing. With another PhD student (George Herbert, 9DTP/ESRC funded) we are investigating the role of perceptual inference, interoceptive processing in the context of intolerance of uncertainty.



Together with Prof Andrew Burton (Fine Art) I am supervising a PhD research project on embodied encounters with sustainable art in the context of the environmental crisis (starting September 2022).


I ad-hoc review for several journals including

  • British Journal of Psychology
  • Biological Psychology
  • Cognition
  • Frontiers in Psychology
  • Frontiers in Consciousness Research 
  • Journal of Affective Disorders
  • Neuropsychologia


As a scientist and clinician I am active in different research groups, such as the 

  • Newcastle University Pain Research Group spanning Biosciences, Dentistry and Psychology.
  • The Newcastle Uncertainty Treatment Development Group with researchers and clinicians working on programmatic approaches to clinical practice. 
  • Uncertainty in Coronavirus Research Network (UniCORN) https://www.covid19an.com
  • Student Mental Health Research Network (SMaRteN)  https://www.smarten.org.uk



Teaching

Module Lead:

  • PSY2018 The Body, The Mind and the Self: Interoception in Health and Clinical Psychology (UG)
  • PSY8079 The Body, the Mind and the Self: Interception and Mental Health (MSc) 
  • PSY3051 Transpersonal Psychology: Mindfulness & Wellbeing (Co-Lead with Michael Atkinson, Medical School)


Module Contributions: 

  • PSY2019 Research Apprenticeship (UG)
  • PSY8040 Research Apprenticeship  (MSc)
  • PSY8081Neurobiology of Mental Health (MSc)
  • PSY8057 Evidence-based Low Intensity treatment for Common Mental Health Disorders (Resilience for Practitioners Workshop Days)


I am supervising UG, PGT and PGR/PhD research projects, I also co-supervise research projects for the Clinical Doctorate programme (DClin Psy). 

Publications