I come from a rural area in Latvia and grew up surrounded by forests, not far from the Baltic sea. I am the first one in my family to go to the university and I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Latvia. For my Master’s degree, I had the opportunity to study abroad at Maastricht University where I did a programme in Health & Social Psychology and developed interest in research.
Further, I refined my research skills while working for the Behaviour Change by Design programme at the University of Cambridge on various experimental studies with the aim to evaluate how changing the physical environment can change behaviour and improve health. In addition to research, I have also gained clinical experience in mental health while working for the National Health Service in England.
In my SURREAL project I hope to combine the knowledge from my previous experiences and study how to design cities that promote mental health and wellbeing. I am particularly interested in health equity and how urban policies in European cities address the social determinants of mental health.
In my free time, I enjoy exploring cities, going for long walks and also going down the YouTube rabbit-hole.
