Elizabeth Rapa

Professor Elizabeth Rapa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. She has worked on large-scale international projects spanning the UK and low- and middle-income countries. Her research centres on early intervention, parental mental health, and the impact of early experiences on child development. She has extensive experience in developing clinical trials and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research students across medicine, nursing, and education. She is the Principal Investigator of the Oxford Brain Story; in partnership with the Palix Foundation she engages policymakers, practitioners, and the public with the science of early brain development and implications for lifelong health outcomes. This work includes developing and evaluating strategies to embed the Brain Story knowledge across frontline services in health, education, social care, and the criminal justice system, as well as initiatives to share the science through secondary school curriculum content and directly with parents.