Dr Nicolò Zarotti

Profile

I am an Academic and Clinical Psychologist with a special interest in the understanding and treatment of psychological difficulties in people with neurodegenerative conditions.

I completed my undergraduate (BSc) and postgraduate (MSc) degrees in Psychology at the University of Trieste (Italy). I then joined Lancaster University to pursue a mixed methods PhD focused on emotional processing and communication in Huntington's disease. Following this, I worked at Lancaster University and the University of Sheffield on multiple projects aimed at developing psychological approaches for adults with neurodegenerative conditions, including co-authoring the first BPS national guidance on psychological interventions for people with Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease, and multiple sclerosis.

After obtaining my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (ClinPsyD) from the University of East Anglia and qualifying as a Clinical Psychologist, I joined the Department of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences (MCCN), where I currently carry out my clinical activity within the Outpatient Services. Since 2023, I have also been an Honorary Clinical Lecturer within the Division of Health Research at Lancaster University.

In early 2025 I joined the University of Leeds as Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Academic Tutor for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology within the Division of Psychological and Social Medicine, part of the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS).

Research interests

My main research interest revolves around developing psychological approaches to mental health and cognitive difficulties in people with neurodegenerative conditions such as (but not limited to) Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Further interests include psychological adjustment to chronic illness, social cognition, perceived control, communication, emotion recognition, emotion regulation, trauma, and mental health in higher education.

Qualifications

• BSc in Psychological Sciences and Techniques - University of Trieste, 2011
• MSc in Psychology - University of Trieste, 2013
• PhD in Health Research - Lancaster University, 2017
• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology - University of East Anglia, 2022

Professional memberships

• Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol)
• Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
• HCPC Practitioner Psychologist (Reg: PYL041751)

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
• Psychological and Social Medicine