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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, she/her
    Lecturer & DDPD (MSc Clin Psy)
    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 brain and body, i.e. interception and embodied awareness, in regards to health and dis-ease. 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 both clinical and non-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. As academic and clinician I am involved in treatment development and CPD courses for NHS-based and other clinical services.

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 contexts. 


My research programme and respective collaborations span neuroscience, neurology, experimental as well as clinical and counselling psychology/psychotherapy. I have an interest in combining science and arts and love working collaboratively across disciplines.


Together with Dr Ruth Raynor (Geography) and a community artist (Karen Underhill) I am exploring the impact of bereavement and grief on the body.


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). 


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 distress-related mental health difficulties.

 

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


I ad-hoc review for several journals including

  • British Journal of Psychology
  • Biological Psychology
  • Cognition
  • Frontiers in Psychology
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry
  • Journal of Affective Disorders
  • Neuropsychologia
  • Body Image


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