My name is Dessalegn Kiross Enkoyee. I am a SCOPE Ph.D. fellow from Ethiopia. I obtained my BSc degree in Nursing from Debreberhan university in 2013 and joined Adigrat university as an assistant lecturer. In 2017, I got my master’s degree in mental health from a joint program between the university of Gondar and Amanuel mental specialized hospital. I have professional work experience in different levels of the health sector, academia, and international humanitarian organizations. Currently, I am registered as a Ph.D. student at the University of wellington.

My main research interest is how psychosocial factors meaningful to a certain culture play a role in the prognosis and recovery of patients with severe mental illness. I am also interested to investigate genetic variants associated with a higher risk of psychosis.

My Ph.D. thesis within the SCOPE project focuses on exploring culturally salient family communication, developing a socially embedded in-depth understanding of culturally

meaningful aspects of family communication between a person with psychosis and its family caregivers in Ethiopia. My research will further attempt to develop and validate a tool that measures culturally meaningful aspects of family communication.

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Supervisors:

• Dr Charlotte Hanlon (Primary supervisor, Addis Ababa University & King's College London)

• Dr Denise Taylor (External supervisor, University of Wellington)

• Dr Tosin Popoola (External supervisor, University of Wellington)