Dr Alessio Bellato

Overview

Dr Bellato serves alongside Dr Paul Conway as Joint Module Lead for the Dissertation Project module of our online Psychology MSc. His primary academic interest is understanding how the ability to regulate physiological arousal influences emotion regulation, behaviour, and mental wellbeing in children and young people.  

Dr Bellato is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and brings a background in both clinical practice and research to his work. He’s previously worked in private and public health services delivering diagnostic assessments and psychological interventions for children and young people. 

Dr Bellato’s research sits at the intersection of psychophysiology, emotion regulation, and neurodevelopmental conditions. His work explores how bodily processes like heart rate variability relate to mental health outcomes. These research efforts span both clinical and global mental health contexts. He’s particularly interested in non-pharmacological interventions and the mental health needs of young people across diverse international settings. 

Dr Bellato is also an Honorary Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. He serves as Joint Editor of the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology Advances, and co-leads the South East Asia Mental Health Consortium (SEAMHC). This reflects his commitment to advancing global mental health research and collaboration. 

Emotional regulation and dysregulation

Exploring how individuals regulate or struggle to regulate their emotional responses, and what drives these differences. 

Psychophysiology

Examining physiological markers such as heart rate variability and their relationship to emotional and behavioural outcomes. 

Neurodevelopmental conditions

Investigating emotion regulation and physiological arousal in children and young people with conditions such as ADHD and autism. 

Non-pharmacological interventions and global mental health

Developing and evaluating non-medication-based approaches to supporting mental health, with a focus on international and under-served populations.