Dr. Ashling Bourke
Dr Ashling Bourke is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Human Development at the Institute of Education. Her research and teaching interests include the processes that impact on child and adolescent wellbeing, children's rights, and understanding climate change using a psychological lens.
She is the Principal Investigator on NextGen: The Next Generation Calls to Action: Exploring Adolescents' Climate Change Attitudes, Knowledge, and Actions.
Ashling is a Senior Fellow, Advance HE. In 2023 she was awarded a Presidents' Medal for Research Impact. She was awarded a Dean's Research Fellow at the Anti-Bullying Centre in 2024-2025, and she currently sits on the ABC Management Committee and the Centre's Advisory Board.
Her current research projects inlcude:
- Adolescents' climate change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours
- Climate change and mental health and wellbeing
- School's roles in child protection
- Relationships and Sexuality Education
- Psychological correlates of bullying behaviour
- Arts based methodologies and the study of climate change
Ashling completed her BA (hons) in Psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway, a Masters in Forensic Psychology at University College Cork, and a PhD at Trinity College Dublin. She has held a number of academic and research roles in Trinity College Dublin, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and Dublin City University, as well as advocacy roles with children and vulnerable populations in Irish and UK NGOs.
Research Interests
Children's rights
Climate change attidues, knowledge, and actions
Climat change and psychological wellbeing
Climate change education
Child abuse and child protection
Adversity and resilience
Sexual health
Sexuality and Relationships Education
Developmental forensic psychology
Funding Highlights
- Longitudinal study of climate change attitudes, knowledge and action in adolescence | DCU PI | 11/08/2025 - 10/08/2029
- The impacts of climate change on individual and community mental health and wellbeing | Co-Investigator | 14/07/2025 - 26/01/2026
- SHIFT study - Sexual Health in Ireland: Factors affecting Transmission and prevention | Co-Investigator | 01/12/2024 - 01/12/2026
- CC-EASE: Climate Change Education for Action, Sustainability, and Empowerment | Principal Investigator | 01/12/2023 - 01/12/2024
- Person Centered Attitudes to Climate Change | Principal Investigator | 13/08/2023 - 11/02/2024
- Meaningful involvement of young people in health research | Co-Principal Investigator | 01/02/2024 - 29/11/2024
- Teachers and Global Citizenship Education: values, attitudes and practices | Researcher | 01/02/2022 - 01/10/2023
- Knowledge Exchange to build research capacity on childhood adversity and resilience in Ireland | DCU PI | 01/05/2020 - 31/12/2021
- TEACH-RSE Teacher Professional Development and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE): Realising Optimal Sexual Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifespan | Co-Principal Investigator | 01/04/2019 - 30/09/2020
- Perceptions of Children's Rights | Principal Investigator | 01/01/2012
- Sexual Health Behaviour in Ireland | Researcher | 24/01/2011 - 02/10/2011
CV
External Positions
- Lecturer in Psychology, Dublin City University01/10/2012 – 06/10/2016
- Teaching Fellow, St. Patrick's College11/09/2011 – 01/07/2012
- Research Officer, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland01/01/2011 – 01/10/2011
Academic Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree, National University of Ireland, Galway
- PhD, Trinity College Dublin
- Master's Degree, University College Cork