About Us
DIS.connected is an interdisciplinary network comprised of early career researchers (ECRs) actively conducting dissociation research in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, and neuroscience.
DIS.connected fosters collaborations between members in early career stages, including research assistants, graduate students, post-docs, and assistant professors.
Currently, our 52 DIS.connected members are located in 9 countries across 4 continents, including the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, US, Canada, and Australia. We continue to grow globally!
Drag the map to see where some of the members are located! Committee members are shown with their names and other members are shown with their locations and institutional affiliations only.
DIS.connected is managed by a committee of dedicated members.
The committee includes a chair, co-chairs, and coordinators for membership management, monthly meeting, social media, website maintenance, lived experience, and open science and data sharing.
DIS.connected Leadership Team
Emma Černis (she/her)
Founder & Chair
Emma is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK and works as a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS. Her research focuses on understanding dissociative experiences from a cognitive-behavioural perspective. Emma is a founder of DIS.connected and – together with co-chairs – oversees the DIS.connected committee.
Emma’s website: emmacernis.com & www.midlands-ddc.com
Instagram: @emmacernis
Sarah Danböck (she/her)
Co-chair & Monthly Meeting Coordinator
Sarah is a PostDoc at University of Mannheim studying behavioral, autonomic, neural, and experiential alterations during acute trauma-related dissociation. She is also passionate about Bayesian statistics, open science, and bridging gaps between basic and applied science – in this spirit, DIS.connected encourages researchers from diverse research fields to come together and work hand in hand. Sarah coordinates monthly DIS.connected meetings, one of our network’s centerpieces where members share their current work, thoughts, and ideas with one another.
Sarah’s ResearchGate
Twitter: @SarahDanboeck
DIS.connected Committee
Wencke Donath (she/her)
Social Media
Wencke is a PhD student at the University of Groningen’s Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology department in the Netherlands. Her research primarily focuses on identity alteration of individuals with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and encompasses a broader interest in dissociative symptoms and trauma. She possesses expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including thematic analysis, multilevel modeling, parametric, and non-parametric statistics. Wencke is involved in managing network members and contributes to our social media team’s efforts.
Wencke’s website
Laura Marsh (she/her)
Social Media
Laura is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at King’s College London, with an interest in dissociative experiences and Functional Neurological symptoms. She previously completed a PhD examining the mechanisms underlying dissociative amnesia, and has ongoing research interests in autobiographical memory, interoceptive processes and disruptions to our sense of self. Laura is part of the DIS.connected social media team.
Laura’s Google Scholar
Twitter: @laura_marsh_
Jamie Moffatt (he/him)
Website Maintenance & IT Manager
Jamie is a postdoc at Royal Holloway, University of London studying how the sense of our internal bodily sensations, often termed interoception, influences our sense of self and sense of our body. He conducts research in the lab and online, and is particularly interested in using these methods to further understand how the sense of self is disrupted in dissociative experiences, or how it can be manipulated with digital technologies like Virtual Reality.
Jamie’s website
Twitter: @JAMoffatt
Irene Xu (they/them)
Website Maintenance & Social Media
Irene is a Clinical Psychology doctoral student at University of Wisconsin-Madison, US. They study the role of dissociation in the transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal behaviors and dissociation in gender diverse populations. They are also passionate about science communication and community building (like DIS.connected!). Irene maintains the DIS.connected website and social media pages.
Irene’s website
Bluesky: @irenexu.bsky.social
Andy H.W. Fung (he/him)
Social Media
Andy Fung, PhD, RSW, is a social worker and a researcher from Hong Kong. His research focuses on trauma, complex PTSD, dissociation, and the psychosocial aspects of mental health. He authored the self-help book “Be A Teammate With Yourself: Understanding Trauma And Dissociation” together with Colin A Ross, MD.
Andy’s ResearchGate
Twitter: @AhwFung
Johannes Heekerens (he/him)
Membership Management
Johannes is a clinical psychologist studying the nature of human well-being and ways to improve it. His research focuses on dissociation and affect regulation. He is currently a research staff member at Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim and holds appointments as Honorary Research Associate at Stanford University and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
Johannes’ Website
Former Committee Members
DIS.connected 