Dr Melissa Brown receives national recognition for outstanding contribution to older people’s psychology

Congratulations to Dr Melissa Brown, Clinical Psychologist in the Dementia and Frailty Division, who has been awarded the prestigious Una Holden Award at the Faculty of Psychologists working with Older People’s (FPOP) annual conference in Durham.

The Una Holden Award recognises outstanding achievement in an early-career psychologist working with older people and celebrates individuals who have made a significant impact through clinical practice, research, leadership and service development. Dr Melissa Brown was recognised for her exceptional contribution to patient care, staff wellbeing, research and professional development.

Melissa works on Rosemary Ward and within the Community Enablement and Recovery Team (CERT), where she supports older people through assessment and therapeutic interventions. Her nomination highlighted the significant contribution she has made to services and to the older people accessing care, as well as her commitment to promoting and maintaining psychologically informed environments.

Alongside her clinical work, Melissa has successfully published research exploring Black communities’ experiences of seeking help when a loved one develops memory problems. She is now leading further research in this area, having recently gained ethical approval for a study investigating Black communities’ experiences of supporting loved ones on inpatient wards.

Melissa has also championed staff wellbeing and reflective practice, leading initiatives that provide teams with space to process challenging experiences and support one another. Her passion for mentoring and developing colleagues has helped assistant psychologists, trainees and placement students grow in confidence and develop their skills.

The award is a fitting recognition of Melissa’s dedication, compassion and leadership. Her commitment to improving care and supporting both patients and colleagues continues to make a lasting difference across our Dementia and Frailty services.

Congratulations, Melissa, on this well-deserved achievement.