Cristian Alcaíno

Thesis title: Early Detection of Bipolar Disorders

PhD in Clinical Psychology

Year of study: 4

  • Department of Clinical Psychology
  • School of Health in Social Science
  • College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Contact details

PhD supervisors:

Address

Street

Old Medical Building
Teviot Place

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9AG

Availability

Biography

Background

I am a Chilean child and adolescent psychologist and a PhD in Clinical Psychology student at the School of Health in Social Science of The University of Edinburgh. Also, I was awarded a scholarship by the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile for funding my current studies.

Qualifications

BSc in Psychology at The University of Valparaíso, Chile.

MSc in Child and Adolescent Psychology at The University of Chile.

PhD (c) in Clinical Psychology at The University of Edinburgh, UK.

Responsibilities & affiliations

Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), UK.

Member of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), UK.

Member of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD), USA.

Member of the Chilean Society for Bipolar Disorders (SOCHITAB), ISBD filial, Chile.

Member of the Chilean Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Neurologic Society (SOPNIA), Chile.

Postgraduate Researcher Representative (PGR Rep) at the School of Health in Social Science (2021-2022)

Member of the Centre for Applied Developmental Psychology (CADP) at the School of Health in Social Science.

Member of Research Bow (https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/research-bow/people/)

Postgraduate teaching

Tutor in Introduction to Political Data Analysis (Quantitative methods).

Tutor in Research Methods in Applied Psychology.

Nominated as ‘Student Tutor of the Year’ in Teaching Awards 2023. The University of Edinburgh, Students’ Association.

Research summary

Interests: Bipolar Disorders, Mental Health Prevention, Telehealth, Socioemotional Skills, Disabilities, Psychological Assessment, Psychometrics, Epidemiology, Quantitative Methods, Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analysis.

Current research interests

Early detection and intervention of Bipolar Disorders.

Knowledge exchange

Alcaíno, C., Raouna, A., Tunç, H., Macbeth, A., Bird, T., & Youngstrom, E. (2024). Discriminant diagnostic validity of paediatric bipolar disorder screening tests: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry.. https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.13592 

Alcaíno, C., Raouna, A., Tunç, H., MacBeth, A., Bird, T., & Youngstrom, E. A., Ph.D. (Sep 30th, 2024). The 2024 International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Annual Conference. Reykjavik Iceland September 29-October 1, 2024. Discriminant diagnostic validity of paediatric bipolar disorder screening tests: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 

Alcaíno, C (2024). Understanding Bipolar Screening in Children and Teens. Bipolar Scotland charity. Science Communication. On The Level magazine. Jul 30, 2024; p. 12-13. Available at https://issuu.com/bipolar_scotland/docs/issuu_upload_approve 

Alcaíno, C (2023). Bipolaridad en Adolescentes. Círculo Polar Foundation. Science Communication. Psychoeducational Keynote. Dec 09, 2023. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmED3yK6Bcc 

Alcaíno, C. et al., (Nov 10, 2023). Validez diagnóstica discriminante de tamizajes para trastornos bipolares infanto-juveniles: Una revisión sistemática y meta-análisis [Discriminant diagnostic validity of paediatric bipolar disorder screening tests: a systematic review and meta-analysis]. Congreso SOPNIA 2023 [SOPNIA Congress 2023]. Chile. 

Alcaíno, C. (May 19th, 2022). Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis tools. Annual Postgraduate Research Students Conference 2022. School of Health in Social Sciences. University of Edinburgh, UK 

Alcaíno, C. (May 25th, 2021). Annual Postgraduate Research Students Conference 2021 in the School of Social Sciences of The University of Edinburgh. What Index Test are accurate identifying Bipolarity from Other Disorders in Youth? Preliminary Findings from an ongoing Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Edinburgh, UK. 

Alcaíno, C. (2019). Trayectoria de riesgo de salud mental en escolares que han participado en una intervención preventiva [Mental health risk path in schoolchildren who participated in a preventive intervention]. Revista de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental de Chile [Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Chile]. Retrieved from http://www.schilesaludmental.cl/ 

Alcaíno, C. (2012). La imaginería. En Alcaíno, C., García, G. & Sepúlveda, G. (Eds.) Psicoterapia evolutiva constructivista en niños y adolescentes. Método y técnicas terapéuticas. Juegos, imágenes y diálogos [Evolutionary constructivist psychotherapy in children and adolescents. Method and therapeutic techniques. Games, images, and dialogues], (p.153-163) (1° edición), Santiago: Colección Praxis Psicológica. 

Fernández, D., Alcaíno, C. & Mercadal, P. (octubre, 2018). Uso del cine como Innovación Educativa en el aprendizaje de Habilidades Metacognivas en estudiantes de Psicología del Desarrollo [Use of cinema as Educational Innovation in the learning of Metacognitive Skills in students of Developmental Psychology]. Sesión de Poster presentado en I Congreso Internacional de Psicología [Poster session presented at the 1st International Congress of Psychology]: Producción de conocimientos: desafíos emergentes y perspectivas de futuro. Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República de Uruguay. Montevideo, Uruguay. 

 

Project activity

Alcaíno, C., MacBeth, A., Bird, T., et al. (ND). Validation of screening test for bipolar disorders in adolescents in Chile. PhD main project. Study website: https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/cristianalcaino/homepage/validation-stage/ [NB. Sample in English - The actual website is in Spanish]

 

Research assistant role in a project led by the University of Edinburgh & NHS. Viewing therapists and patients as equals: Data-driven natural language analysis to predict outcomes in psychological therapy for depression.

Current project grants

Becas Chile scholarship by The National Agency for Research and Development of Chile in July 2020. This scholarship is funding my current PhD studies.

Conference details

Annual PGR Conference 2021. School of Health in Social Sciences. University of Edinburgh, UK 

2021 International Virtual Conference of the Chilean Society for Bipolar Disorders (SOCHITAB). 

The 23rd Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD), 13–15 May 2021 

Annual PGR Conference 2022. School of Health in Social Sciences. University of Edinburgh, UK 

The 24th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD), 2022 

Annual PGR Conference 2023. School of Health in Social Sciences. University of Edinburgh, UK 

The 40th Annual SOPNIA Conference. November 2023. The Chilean Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Neurologic Society (SOPNIA), Chile 

2024 ISBD Annual Conference. Reykjavik Iceland September 29-October 1, 2024. 

Becas Chile scholarship by The National Agency for Research and Development of Chile in July 2020. This scholarship is funding my current PhD studies. 

 

Honourable mention for the 2024 Early Mid-Career Poster Travel Award supported by the Baszucki Group. The 2024 ISBD Annual Conference. Reykjavik Iceland September 29-October 1, 2024. 

Revelation Researcher Award 2023 by The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Neurologic Society of Chile (SOPNIA). 

Nominated as ‘Student Tutor of the Year’ in Teaching Awards 2023. The University of Edinburgh, Students’ Association. 

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