Dr Caroline Davenport

Background:

Caroline joined the University of Hull in July 2023, initially as a lecturer in Nursing. In September 2026 she took on the role of Postdoctoral Research Associate in Health Services Research. Prior to this, she was an associate and visiting lecturer in two UK universities.



Caroline completed a MA Research Methods in 2015 at the University of Nottingham. Having conducted empirical research into maternal mental health in the National Health Service (NHS), she later trained as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting) at Sheffield Hallam University, inspired by the health and wellbeing experiences of women during their pregnancies.

Having completing further postgraduate training in perinatal mental health, and observing experiences in clinical practice where fathers experienced mental health difficulties during the perinatal period, she recognised a lack of formalised support for fathers and decided to explore this area further through research.

In September 2020 Caroline was granted a Vice Chancellor PhD scholarship at Anglia Ruskin University, where she focused on UK fathers experiencing postnatal depression, completing this award in August 2023. During her PhD she conducted a series of studies including a systematic review, and four primary research studies into experiences of fathers, mothers, and health visitors. This has resulted in publications across a range of health journals, offering original knowledge and recommendations for healthcare practice around men's perinatal mental health. Since working at Hull, her research interests have extended to maternal alcohol use during the perinatal period, including the role of fathers in maternal alcohol consumption during this time.

During her lectureship, Caroline worked with Professor Lesley Smith to submit a grant application to the National Institute for Health Research entitled ADAPT: Exploring the acceptability, adoption and appropriateness of alcohol screening and brief intervention (ASBI) in perinatal mental health services. This proposed study, comprising four workstreams, was awarded funding, and Caroline became a full time postdoctoral research associate to work on this project in September 2026. She is currently working within the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Research, led by Professor Tom Phillips, as a health services researcher.

Previously Caroline was a peer reviewer for a range of journals including the Joanna Briggs Institute and British Medical journal. She worked as an education reviewer for the Royal College of Nursing. Caroline also held the role of patient representative for the Royal College of Psychiatrists for two years between 2021-2023 and was a named contributor to their Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health report, released in 2023.

She was an external examiner for postgraduate public health degrees at a Scottish University until 2025, and became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2026. She remains committed to teaching evidence based practices to students studying Nursing courses, particularly around men's health, perinatal mental health and public health.