Dr Celeste Foster chosen to deliver prestigious 2025 Skellern Lecture

This prestigious accolade celebrates exceptional contributions to developing mental health education, policy, practice and expertise.

The Skellern Lecturer Award, named in honour of groundbreaking mental health nurse Eileen Skellern, acknowledges individuals who have significantly advanced mental health policy, practice and expertise, both in the UK and internationally.

The Skellern Lecture is one of two Skellern award categories, alongside the Lifetime Achievement Award. Nomination and voting takes place among a panel of peers – made up of Skellern alumni, mental health nursing academics, researchers, commissioners and practitioners.

Celeste is a child and adolescent mental health nurse and psychotherapist who has worked at the University of Salford as an academic and researcher for 21 years, first as a lecturer practitioner, then lecturer, senior lecturer and now associate professor.

Celeste co-leads the mental health and neurodiversity research group in the Centre for Applied Health Research, in the School of Health and Society.

Her lecture will focus on her applied research examining and improving care quality, interventions and outcomes for young people with complex mental health needs, and the staff who look after them.

Upon receiving the award, Celeste expressed her gratitude, saying: "It is truly an honour to be recognised for something I am so passionate about. This is the first time the Skellern lecture has focussed on children’s mental health, and it comes at a pivotal time as we have seen young people’s mental health deteriorate globally over the last 15 years. It is vital that we get the right support in place for our young people and for the mental health nursing workforce which cares for them.”

The 2025 Skellern Annual Lecture will be hosted by the University of Manchester on Thursday June 5th, from 5.30-9.00pm. Tickets for the event are available to book here.