Vice Dean of UG studies/Associate Professor of Psychology

01 659 9252

april.hargreaves@ncirl.ie

Research Gate | ORCID | Google Scholar

Key Responsibilities at NCI

• Vice Dean of Undergraduate studies in the School of Business
• Associate Professor of Psychology
• Programme Director for Business studies 

Education

• Ph.D in Neuropsychology (2010-2013) - Trinity College Dublin
• MSc in Neuroscience (1997-1998) - Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London
• BA Hons in Psychology (1994-1997) - University College Dublin

Academic Experience

• Lecturer in Psychology, National College of Ireland, Ireland (2015 to present)
• Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin & St. James's Hospital, 2013-present
• Lecturer in the following fields: Cognitive Genomics, Cognitive Development, Intelligence and Attainment, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin (2014-2016)
• Assistant Psychologist, Central Mental Hospital, Dundrum (2014-2015)
• Tutor in Behavioural Sciences, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin (2010-2012)

Research Interests

• Mental health stigma, Psychosis, Cognitive Genomics, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, The role of Co-Enzyme Q10 in cognitive, psychological and clinical deficits in Schizophrenia
• April's primary research interests lie in Mental Health Stigma and the neuropsychology of psychosis. Past research has investigated associations between GWAS genes and cognition in psychosis, the impact of Cognitive Remediation Therapy on cognitive deficits in psychosis, the impact of orally administered Co-Enzyme Q10 on cognitive, psychological and clinical variables associates with schizophrenia, and stigma associated with mental health and neurological conditions.  

Recent Funding and Awards

• Esther Ireland Grant (2021) €8,000
• Winner of the President's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Research, National College of Ireland, 2019.
• Trinity College Dublin (2011) €400 (travel grant for conference attendance and presentation)
• Trinity College Dublin (2016) €150,000 Department of Psychiatry (A randomised control trial of CoQ10 in patients with schizophrenia)
• Pharma Nord (2016) €50,000 worth of CoQ10 and placebo capsules for research purposes.

PhD Supervision

• Aine Maguire (Trinity College, Dublin) - The role of Co-Enzyme Q10 in cognitive, psychological and clinical deficits in Schizophrenia
• Rachel Dillon (Trinity College Dublin) – The impact of cognitive remediation therapy on psychosis

Key Publications

Published International Journal Articles

• Mothersill, David, Nguyen, H., Loughnane, Gerard M. and Hargreaves, April (2024) 'Mental Health Among Third-Level Students in Ireland during COVID-19'. Irish Journal of Education, 48 (3).
• Hargreaves, April, Loughnane, Gerard M., Nguyen, Hau and Mothersill, David (2022) 'Online learning predictors of mental health in third-level students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland'. Journal of American College Health. ISSN 1940-3208. DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2022.2089852 (Epub ahead of print)
• Maguire, Áine, Mooney, Christina, Flynn,, Grainne, Ferguson, Yolande, O'Keane, Veronica, O'Rourke, Doreen, McMonagle, Thomas, Heaton, Robert, Philips, Suzannah, Hargreaves, Iain, Gill, Michael and Hargreaves, April (2021) 'No Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on Cognitive Function, Psychological Symptoms, and Health-related Outcomes in Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial'. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 41 (1). pp. 53-57. ISSN 1533-712X. DOI: 10.1097/JCP.0000000000001330
• Mothersill, David, Loughnane, Gerard M., Grasso, Gabriela and Hargreaves, April (2021) 'Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours towards schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism: a pilot study'. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine. pp. 1-7. ISSN 2051-6967. DOI: 10.1017/ipm.2021.81.
• Donohoe, Gary, Dillon, Rachael, Hargreaves, April, Mothersill, O., Castorina, Marco, Furey, E., Fagan, A. J., Meaney, J. F., Fitzmaurice, Brian, Hallahan, B., McDonald, C., Wykes, Til, Corvin, Aiden and Robertson, Ian H. (2018) "Effectiveness of a low support, remotely accessible, cognitive remediation training programme for chronic psychosis: cognitive, functional and cortical outcomes from a single blind randomised controlled trial". Psychological Medicine, 48 (5). pp. 751-764. ISSN 1469-8978. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291717001982
• Hargreaves, April, Daly-Ryan, Niamh, Dillon, Rachael and Donohoe, Gary (2018) "Independent Computerized Cognitive Remediation for Psychosis: An Investigation of Patient Experiences". The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 206 (8). pp. 606-613. ISSN 1539-736X. DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000852
• Hargreaves, April, Dillon, Rachael, Castorina, Marco, Furey, Emilia, Walsh, Jane C., Fitzmaurice, Brian, Hallahan, Brian, Corvin, Aiden, Robertson, Ian H. and Donohoe, Gary (2018) "Predictors of adherence to low support, computerised, cognitive remediation training in psychosis". Psychosis, 10 (4). pp. 298-306. ISSN 1752-2447. DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2018.1522542
• Maguire, Áine, Hargreaves, April and Gill, Michael (2018) "Coenzyme Q10 and neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders: relevance for schizophrenia". Nutritional Neuroscience. ISSN 1476-8305. DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2018.1556481. (Epub ahead of print)
• Dillon, Rachael, Hargreaves, April, Anderson-Schmidt, Heike, Castorina, Marco, Corvin, Aiden, Fitzmaurice, Brian, Robertson, Ian H. and Donohoe, Gary (2016) "Adherence to a Low-Support Cognitive Remediation Training Program for Psychosis". The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 204 (10). pp. 741-745. ISSN 1539-736X. DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000557
• Hargreaves, April, Mothersill, O., Anderson, M., Lawless, S., Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2016) "Detecting facial emotion recognition deficits in schizophrenia using dynamic stimuli of varying intensities". Neuroscience Letters, 633. pp. 47-54. ISSN 0304-3940. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.09.017
• Hargreaves, April, Dillon, Rachael, Anderson-Schmidt, Heike, Corvin, Aiden, Fitzmaurice, Brian, Castorina, Marco, Robertson, I.H. and Donohoe, Gary (2015) "Computerised working-memory focused cognitive remediation therapy for psychosis — A preliminary study". Schizophrenia Research, 69 (1-3). pp. 135-140. ISSN 0920-9964. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.09.004
• Hargreaves, April, Anney, Richard J.L., O'Dushlaine, Colm T., Nicodemus, Kristin K., Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden, Morris, Derek and Donohoe, Gary (2014) "The one and the many: effects of the cell adhesion molecule pathway on neuropsychological function in psychosis". Psychological Medicine, 44 (10). pp. 2177-2187. ISSN 1469-8978. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291713002663
• Li, Ming, Luo, Xiong-Jian, Rietschel, Marcella, Lewis, Cathryn M., Mattheisen, Manuel, Müller-Myhsok, Bertram, Jamain, Stéphane, Leboyer, Marion, Landén, Mikael, Thompson, Paul M., Cichon, S., Nöthen, M. M., Schulze, T. G., Sullivan, P. F., Bergen, S. E., Donohoe, Gary, Morris, Derek, Hargreaves, April, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden, Hultman, C., Toga, A. W., Shi, L., Lin, Q., Shi, H., Gan, L., Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Czamara, D., Henry, C., Etain, B., Bis, J.C., Ikram, M. A., Fornage, M., Debette, S., Launer, L. J., Seshadri, S., Erk, S., Walter, H., Heinz, A., Bellivier, F., Stein, J. L., Medland, S. E., Vásquez, Alejandro Arias, Hibar, D. P., Franke, Barbara, Martin, Nicholas G., Wright, Margaret J. and Su, Bing (2014) "Allelic differences between Europeans and Chinese for CREB1 SNPs and their implications in gene expression regulation, hippocampal structure and function, and bipolar disorder susceptibility". Molecular Psychiatry, 19 (4). pp. 452-461. ISSN 1359-4184. DOI: 10.1038/mp.2013.37
• Merikangas, Alison K., Segurado, Ricardo, Cormican, Paul, Heron, Elizabeth A., Anney, Richard J.L., Moore, Susan, Kelleher, Eric, Hargreaves, April, Anderson-Schmidt, Heike, Gill, Michael, Gallagher, Louise and Corvin, Aiden (2014) "The phenotypic manifestations of rare CNVs in schizophrenia". Schizophrenia Research, 158 (1-3). pp. 255-260. ISSN 0920-9964. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.06.016
• Nicodemus, Kristin K., Hargreaves, April, Morris, Derek, Anney, Richard J.L., Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2014) "Variability in Working Memory Performance Explained by Epistasis vs Polygenic Scores in the ZNF804A Pathway". JAMA Psychiatry, 71 (7). pp. 778-785. ISSN 2168-6238. DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.528
• Rose, Emma Jane, Hargreaves, April, Morris, Derek, Fahey, Ciara, Tropea, Daniela, Cummings, Elizabeth, Caltagirone, Carlo, Bossù, Paola, Chiapponi, Chiara, Piras, Fabrizio, Spalletta, Gianfranco, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2014) "Effects of a novel schizophrenia risk variant rs7914558 at CNNM2 on brain structure and attributional style". British Journal of Psychiatry, 204 (2). pp. 115-121. ISSN 1472-1465. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.131359
• Cummings, Elizabeth, Donohoe, Gary, Hargreaves, April, Moore, Susan, Fahey, Ciara, Dinan, T. G., McDonald, C., O'Callaghan, E., O'Neill, F. A., Waddington, J. L., Murphy, K. C., Morris, Derek, Gill, Michael and Corvin, Aiden (2013) "Mood congruent psychotic symptoms and specific cognitive deficits in carriers of the novel schizophrenia risk variant at MIR-137". Neuroscience Letters, 532. pp. 33-38. ISSN 0304-3940. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.08.065
• Donohoe, Gary, Walters, James T.R., Hargreaves, April, Rose, Emma Jane, Morris, Derek, Fahey, Ciara, Bellini, Stefania, Cummings, Elizabeth, Giegling, Ina, Hartmann, Annette M., Möller, Hans-Jürgen, Muglia, Pierandrea, Owen, Michael J., Gill, Michael, O'Donovan, Michael C., Tropea, Daniela, Rujescu, Dan and Corvin, Aiden (2013) "Neuropsychological effects of the CSMD1 genome-wide associated schizophrenia risk variant rs10503253". Genes, Brain and Behavior, 12 (2). pp. 203-209. ISSN 1601-183X. DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12016
• Robertson, Deirdre A., Hargreaves, April, Kelleher, Eric, Morris, Derek, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2013) "Social dysfunction in schizophrenia: An investigation of the GAF scale's sensitivity to deficits in social cognition". Schizophrenia Research, 146 (1-3). pp. 363-365. ISSN 0920-9964. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2013.01.016
• Rose, Emma Jane, Morris, Derek, Hargreaves, April, Fahey, Ciara, Greene, Ciara, Garavan, Hugh, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2013) "Neural effects of the CSMD1 genome-wide associated schizophrenia risk variant rs10503253". American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, 162 (6). pp. 530-537. ISSN 1552-485X. DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32182
• Walters, James T.R., Rujescu, Dan, Franke, Barbara, Giegling, Ina, Vásquez, Alejandro Arias, Hargreaves, April, Russo, Giancarlo, Morris, Derek, Hoogman, Martine, Da Costa, Andrea, Moskvina, Valentina, Fernández, Guillén, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden, O’Donovan, Michael C., Donohoe, Gary and Owen, Michael J. (2013) "The Role of the Major Histocompatibility Complex Region in Cognition and Brain Structure: A Schizophrenia GWAS Follow-Up". American Journal of Psychiatry, 170 (8). pp. 877-885. ISSN 1535-7228. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12020226
• Donohoe, Gary, Duignan, Aoife, Hargreaves, April, Morris, Derek, Rose, Emma Jane, Robertson, Deirdre A., Cummings, Elizabeth, Moore, Susan, Gill, Michael and Corvin, Aiden (2012) "Social cognition in bipolar disorder versus schizophrenia: comparability in mental state decoding deficits". Bipolar Disorders, 14 (7). pp. 743-748. ISSN 1399-5618. DOI: 10.1111/bdi.12011
• Hargreaves, April, Morris, Derek, Rose, Emma Jane, Fahey, Ciara, Moore, Susan, Cummings, Elizabeth, Tropea, Daniela, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2012) "ZNF804A and social cognition in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls". Molecular Psychiatry, 17 (2). pp. 118-119. ISSN 1359-4184. DOI: 10.1038/mp.2011.102
• Donohoe, Gary, Walters, James, Morris, Derek W., Da Costa, Andrea, Rose, Emma Jane, Hargreaves, April, Maher, Katie, Hayes, Eimear, Giegling, Ina, Hartmann, Annette M., Möller, Hans-Jürgen, Muglia, Pierandrea, Moskvina, Valentina, Owen, Michael J., O'Donovan, Michael C., Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Rujescu, Dan (2011) "A neuropsychological investigation of the genome wide associated schizophrenia risk variant NRGN rs12807809". Schizophrenia Research, 125 (2-3). pp. 304-306. ISSN 0920-9964. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2010.10.019

International Conference Papers

• Hargreaves, April, Maguire, Aine, Mooney, Christina, Hargreaves, Iain, Heaton, Robert, Philips, Suzannah and Gill, Michael (2020) "Effectiveness of orally administered co-enzyme Q10 for schizophrenia: cognitive, functional and biochemical outcomes from a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial". Schizophrenia Bulletin, 46 (Supplement 1). pp. S253. ISSN 1745-1701. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa029.618
• Hargreaves, April, Daly-Ryan, Niamh, Dillon, Rachael and Donohoe, Gary (2018) "S65. Independent computerised Cognitive Remediation for Psychosis: An investigation of patient experiences". Schizophrenia Bulletin, 44 (1). pp. S349. ISSN 1745-1701. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby018.852
• Kelleher, Eric, Mothersill, David, Hargreaves, April, Vincent, Angela, Donohoe, Gary and Corvin, Aiden (2018) "T69. Performance of patients with NMDAR-AB Encephalitis compared to patients with Schizophrenia and healthy controls using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (F-MRI) and a Working Memory Paradigm". Schizophrenia Bulletin, 44 (1). pp. S141. ISSN 1745-1701. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby016.345
• Maguire, Áine, Hargreaves, April and Gill, Michael (2018) "S83. The impact of Coenzyme Q10 on the Cognitive Deficits and symptoms of schizophrenia: Protocol and baseline data of a randomised, placebo-controlled study". Schizophrenia Bulletin, 44 (1). pp. S357. ISSN 1745-1701. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby018.870
• Mothersill, David, Dillon, Rachael, Hargreaves, April, Castorina, Marco, Furey, Emilia, Fagan, Andrew J., Meaney, James F., Fitzmaurice, Brian, Hallahan, Brian, McDonald, Colm, Wykes, Til, Corvin, Aiden, Robertson, Ian H. and Donohoe, Gary (2018) "Computerised working memory based cognitive remediation therapy does not affect Reading the Mind in the Eyes test performance or neural activity during a Facial Emotion Recognition test in psychosis". European Journal of Neuroscience, 48 (1). pp. 1691-1705. ISSN 1460-9568. DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13976
• Cosgrove, Donna, Morris, Derek, Anney, Ric, Hargreaves, April, Genomics Consortium Psychiatric, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2014) "Polygenic scores from the MiR137 pathway explain variability in cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia and controls". Frontiers in Neuroscience. ISSN 1662-453X. DOI: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2014.87.00013
• Hargreaves, April, Morris, Derek, Rose, Emma Jane, Gill, Michael, Corvin, Aiden and Donohoe, Gary (2012) "Poster #116 ZNF804A AND SOCIAL COGNITION IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA AND HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS". Schizophrenia Research, 136 (1). S227. ISSN 0920-9964. DOI: 10.1016/S0920-9964(12)70688-6
• Donohoe, Gary, Rose, Emma Jane, Morris, Derek, Hargreaves, April, Gill, Michael and Corvin, Aiden (2011) "S20-02 - Follow up of schizophrenia gwas based on cognitive performance, high density eeg, and structural brain imaging". European Psychiatry, 26 (1). p. 2083. ISSN 0924-9338. DOI: 10.1016/S0924-9338(11)73786-5

Book Chapters

• Hargreaves, April, Mothersill, David and Loughnane, Gerard M. (2022) "Stigma: An Investigative Analysis of the Irish Public’s Knowledge and Perception of Autism". In: Autism Spectrum Disorders - Recent Advances and New Perspectives. IntechOpen. ISBN 978-1-83768-343-7. DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.108670
• Corvin, Aiden, Donohoe, Gary, Hargreaves, April, Gallagher, Louise and Gill, Michael (2012) "The Cognitive Genetics of Neuropsychiatric Disorders". In: Behavioral Neurogenetics. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, pp. 579-613. ISBN 9783642278594. DOI: 10.1007/7854_2011_188

Books

• Hargreaves, April and Maguire, Aine, eds. (2020) "Schizophrenia: Triggers and Treatments". Nova Science Publishers. ISBN 9781536169898.
• Hargreaves, Iain and Hargreaves, April (2015) "Coenzyme Q10: From Fact to Fiction". Pharmacology - Research, Safety Testing and Regulation. Nova Science Publishers. ISBN 9781634828413.

Case Studies

• Hargreaves, April (2022) "Challenges in Using Social Media as a Recruitment Platform for an Unfunded Nationwide Online Survey: Irish Public’s Perception of the Disorders of Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Autism". In: SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online. SAGE. ISBN 9781529799781. DOI: 10.4135/9781529799781