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Mariana Sousa-Leite (MSc, PhD) is a registered psychologist (Portuguese Psychologists Association - OPP, Professional certificate: 24191) and Research Associate at the School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK, having been awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, grant No.: ES/Z503125/1), UK. Sousa-Leite holds a PhD in Psychology from Cardiff University, UK, since June 2024. Her postgraduate training was supported by a four-year PhD studentship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, studentship No.: SFRH/BD/144429/2019). Mariana has been focusing her research on supporting people in achieving their family-building plans or, when this proves impossible, in coming to terms with their unrealised plans. Her work aims to inform evidence-based policy and practice in reproductive health by developing, evaluating, and implementing research-informed psychosocial resources to support those who desire or are actively trying to have children and the involved stakeholders (practitioners, advocates, and policymakers). The goal is for this support to be integrated into routine clinic care and easily accessible for stakeholders, including service users. Sousa-Leite's main fields of interest span across health and developmental psychology, assisted reproductive technology, fertility preservation, parenthood decision-making and evidence-based practice. Sousa-Leite has been actively involved in teaching, learning, and engaging in activities within the University and international societies related to human reproduction and open science. Currently, she serves as Senior Deputy of the Psychology and Counselling Special Interest Group of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), a member of the ESHRE Communications Committee and Associate Editor of the Human Reproduction Update journal (Oxford University Press).
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Mariana dos Reis Oliveira de Sousa Leite

Citation names

  • Sousa-Leite, M

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
6416-97A2-63C0
ORCID iD
0000-0002-8002-4648
Google Scholar ID
EJukMGgAAAAJ&hl
Researcher Id
GQP-2382-2022

Email addresses

  • sousaleitem@cardiff.ac.uk (Professional)

Addresses

  • School of Psychology, Cardiff University. Tower Building 70 Park Place, CF10 3AT, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom (Professional)

Websites

Knowledge fields

  • Social Sciences - Psychology

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Spanish; Castilian Elementary (A2) Intermediate (B1) Beginner (A1) Intermediate (B1) Elementary (A2)
French Beginner (A1) Elementary (A2) Beginner (A1) Elementary (A2) Elementary (A2)
German Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2020 - 2024/06
Concluded
 Doctoral student (Doctor of Philosophy)
Major in Cardiff Fertility and Reproductive Research (CFRR) in collaboration with the ITR Laboratory and EPIUnit of the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP)
Cardiff University School of Psychology, United Kingdom
"'What if we never make it!? What's going to happen to us?': Routine psychosocial care to promote patients' adjustment to the end of unsuccessful fertility treatment" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
 Passed VIVA with no corrections
2022/12
Concluded
 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Immersion (Outros)
Steven C. Hayes, United States
2022/07 - 2022/07
Concluded
 Campus Course: Spirituality and reproductive medicine: a source of support and/or conflict? (Outros)
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Italy
2021/09 - 2022/04
Concluded
 Education Associate Fellowship Programme (AFHEA) (Outros)
Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2021/12 - 2021/12
Concluded
 Campus Course: Long-term impacts on physical and psycho-social well-being of ART patients and children conceived through ART: updates from different perspectives (Outros)
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2019/06 - 2019/06
Concluded
 Campus Course: How to present and publish your research? (Outros)
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Austria
2018/02 - 2018/07
Concluded
 Master dissertation (Master)
Major in Cardiff Fertility Studies research group
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
 19/20
2013/09 - 2018/07
Concluded
 Master's degree (Master)
School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal
 16.2/20
2018/03 - 2018/03
Concluded
 Campus Course: Communication with patients & information provision (Outros)
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, United Kingdom
2017/09 - 2018/02
Concluded
 Extracurricular course: psychopharmacology (Outros)
School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal
 18/20
2017/09 - 2018/02
Concluded
 Curricular internship (Outros)
Major in Clinical and Health Psychology
São João University Hospital Centre [Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João - CHUS], Portugal, Portugal
 18/20
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2024/10 - Current Postdoc (Research) UK Research and Innovation Economic and Social Research Council, United Kingdom
Cardiff Fertility and Reproductive Research (CFRR), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2020 - 2024/06 Contracted Researcher (Research) Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - FCT], Portugal
Cardiff Fertility and Reproductive Research (CFRR), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK, in collaboration with the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP), Portugal, United Kingdom
2021 - 2022 Contracted Researcher (Research) Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, United Kingdom
Cardiff Fertility and Reproductive Research (CFRR), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2016/01 - 2019/12 Research Assistant (Research) Psychology Research Centre (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal
Family & Human Development research group, Portugal

Teaching in Higher Education

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2022/10 - 2023 Tutor (University Teacher) School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2022/10 - 2023 Invited Assistant (University Teacher) Cardiff University School of Psychology, United Kingdom
2020/10 - 2022 Assistant (University Teacher) School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

Others

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2018/09 - 2019/12 Clinical practice (Professional internship) School of Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal
Portuguese Psychologists’ Association [Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses], Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2020/01/01 - 2024/02/29 Beyond Infertility: an evidence-based psychological intervention to promote couples’ positive adjustment to unsuccessful fertility treatment
SFRH/BD/144429/2019
10.54499/SFRH/BD/144429/2019
PhD Student Fellow
Cardiff University School of Psychology, United Kingdom
 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
2021 - 2022 Extending the international and clinical reach of MyJourney: an online self- help intervention for people with an unfulfilled wish for children
Grant No.: JA1710IF63, £24,903
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Cardiff University School of Psychology, United Kingdom
 Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
Concluded

Contract

Designation Funders
2024 - Current Making a bridge between planning and support for (un)realised parenthood goals under the new 21st-century parenthood landscape
Grant No.: ES/Z503125/1, £127,274
Post-doc Fellow
Cardiff University School of Psychology, United Kingdom
 UK Research and Innovation Economic and Social Research Council
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Sousa-Leite, M; Figueiredo, B. "Fertility preservation to prevent age-related fertility decline: systematic review". In Diálogos acerca da infertilidade, edited by Justo, J, 117-131. Leiria, Portugal: PSICOAP, 2019.
    Published
Conference abstract
  1. Sousa-Leite, M; Costa, R; Figueiredo, B; Liu, J; Morey, R; Gameiro, S. "Multicentre two-arm randomised controlled trial of Beyond Fertility: A brief face-to-face psychosocial intervention to promote patients’ healthy adjustment when ending unsuccessful fertility treatment". Paper presented in 40th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Amsterdam, 2024.
    Published • https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deae108.126
  2. Sousa-Leite, M; Gameiro, S. "Research-informed educational materials to promote the routine implementation of psychosocial care for unsuccessful fertility treatment (PCUFT) at clinics: healthcare professionals’ and patients’ views". Paper presented in 39th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Copenhagen, 2023.
    Published • https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead093.035
  3. Sousa-Leite, M; Costa, R; Figueiredo, B; Gameiro, S. "Patients' willingness and preferences about being counselled for the possibility of fertility treatment being unsuccessful". Paper presented in 38th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), 2022.
    Published • https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deac104.104
  4. Sousa-Leite, M; Figueiredo, B; ter Keurst, A; Boivin, J; Gameiro, S. "Women's decision-making process about the use of fertility preservation (FP) to prevent age-related fertility decline: a two-year prospective study". Paper presented in 35th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Vienna, 2019.
    Published • https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/34.Supplement_1.1
  5. Gameiro, S; Vermeulen, N; Sousa-Leite, M. "How do ESHRE members use and evaluate the ESHRE guidelines?". Paper presented in 34th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Barcelona, 2018.
    Published • https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/33.Supplement_1.1
Conference poster
  1. Sousa-Leite, M; Costa, R; Figueiredo, B; Gameiro, S. "Psychosocial intervention focused on the adjustment after unsuccessful treatment: a feasibility study". Paper presented in XXXVIII Annual Meeting of Portuguese Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2023.
  2. Sousa-Leite, M; Costa, R; Figueiredo, B; Gameiro, S. "Acceptability, Demand, and Practicality of Psychosocial Support for Patients after Unsuccessful Fertility Treatment". Paper presented in Postgraduate Research Poster Conference, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 2021.
  3. Sousa-Leite, M; Gameiro, S. "Association between an unfulfilled child-wish and wellbeing in an UK population representative sample". Paper presented in Fertility 2021, 2021.
Journal article
  1. Sousa-Leite, M; Costa, R; Figueiredo, B; Gameiro, S. "Discussing the possibility of fertility treatment being unsuccessful as part of routine care offered at clinics: patients' experiences, willingness, and preferences". Human Reproduction (2023): http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead096.
    Published • 10.1093/humrep/dead096
  2. Sousa-Leite, M; Fernandes, M; Reis, S; Costa, R; Figueiredo, B; Gameiro, S. "Feasibility and acceptability of psychosocial care for unsuccessful fertility treatment". Health Expectations (2022): http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.13598.
    Published • 10.1111/hex.13598
  3. Sousa-Leite, M; Figueiredo, B; ter Keurst, A; Boivin, J; Gameiro, S. "Women's attitudes and beliefs about using fertility preservation to prevent age-related fertility decline - A two-year follow-up". Patient Education and Counseling 102 9 (2019): 1695-1702. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2019.03.019.
    Published • 10.1016/j.pec.2019.03.019
  4. Gameiro, S; Sousa-Leite, M; Vermeulen, N. "Dissemination, implementation and impact of the ESHRE evidence-based guidelines". Human Reproduction Open 2019 3 (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hropen/hoz011.
    Published • 10.1093/hropen/hoz011
Newsletter article
  1. Sousa-Leite, M; Sola-Leyva, A. "ESHRE Ferti Job Hub: A New Initiative for Employers and Job Seekers in Human Reproduction and Embryology", Focus on Reproduction, 2024, https://www.focusonreproduction.eu/news-and-activities/eshre-ferti-job-hub-a-new-initiative-for-employers-and-job-seekers-in-human-reproduction-and-embryology/.
  2. Sousa-Leite, M. "Should we prepare fertility patients for ending treatment without a baby?", Progress Educational Trust (PET) BioNews flagship, 2023, https://www.progress.org.uk/should-we-prepare-fertility-patients-for-ending-treatment-without-a-baby/.
  3. Sousa-Leite, M. "Digital support interventions reviewed at counselling Campus meeting", Focus on Reproduction, 2023, https://www.focusonreproduction.eu/article/ESHRE-News-Fertility-Counselling.
Newspaper article
  1. Sousa-Leite, M; Gameiro, S. "The other side of the coin: preparing patients for the possibility fertility treatment may end without the children they wish for", British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA) Journal of Fertility Counselling, 2023
Online resource
  1. Sousa-Leite, M; Gameiro, S. How to continue your journey if fertility treatment doesn’t work. 2023. https://myjourney.pt/patients.
  2. Sousa-Leite, M; Gameiro, S. Helping your patients cope with unsuccessful fertility treatment. 2023. https://myjourney.pt/clinics.
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "'What if we never make it!? What's going to happen to us?': Routine psychosocial care to promote patients' adjustment to the end of unsuccessful fertility treatment". PhD, Cardiff University School of Psychology, 2024. https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/168829.
  2. "Women's attitudes and beliefs about using fertility preservation to prevent age-related fertility decline - a two-year follow-up". Master, Universidade do Minho Escola de Psicologia, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/1822/55702.

Other

Other output
  1. Beyond Fertility: a psychosocial intervention to promote patients' healthy adjustment to unsuccessful fertility treatment. 2022. Sousa-Leite, M; Costa, R; Figueiredo, B; Gameiro, S. https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN85897617.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/12/03 [Invited, forthcoming] Psychosocial support for the end of unsuccessful fertility treatment: What support is available to patients Fertility Webinars
European Fertility Society (United Kingdom)
2024/11 [Invited] I am starting, having, or have had fertility treatment: How can I prepare and cope if treatment does not work? UK National Fertility Awareness Week
Fertility Network UK (London, United Kingdom)
2024/10 [Invited] Psychosocial support for the end of unsuccessful fertility treatment: When, how, and by whom - What do we know today? VII Workshop of the Portuguese Fertility Society
Portuguese Fertility Society (Associação Portuguesa de Fertilidade - APF) (Lisbon, Portugal)
2024/07 [Invited lecture] Routine psychosocial care for unsuccessful fertility treatment Pre-congress Course of the 40th Annual Meeting of the ESHRE
(Amsterdam, Netherlands)
2024/07 Session 33: Poster discussion session - Psychology & counselling Pre-congress Course of the 40th Annual Meeting of the ESHRE
(Amsterdam, Netherlands)
2023/06 Research-informed educational materials to promote the routine implementation of psychosocial care for unsuccessful fertility treatment (PCUFT) at clinics: healthcare professionals and patients views 39th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)
(Copenhagen, Denmark)
2022/07 Patients' willingness and preferences about being counselled for the possibility of fertility treatment being unsuccessful 38th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)
(Milan, Italy)
2022/02 Feasibility and acceptability of psychosocial intervention support for unsuccessful fertility treatment FUSION2022 - ESHRE, IFS and ISAR International Conference on Reproductive Medicine
(Online, India)
2021/11 Counselling patients on the possibility of fertility treatment being unsuccessful: patients’ willingness and perceptions Postgraduate Research Conference
School of Psychology, Cardiff University (Cardiff, United Kingdom)
2019/11 Beyond Infertility: promoting couples' positive adjustment to unsuccessful fertility treatment 2nd Annual Meeting of the Marcé Society Portuguese Speaking Group
(Guimarães, Portugal)
2019/06 Women's decision-making process about the use of fertility preservation (FP) to prevent age-related fertility decline: a two-year prospective study 35th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE),
(Vienna, Austria)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2023/06/25 - 2023/06/25 Precongress course: European regulation of third party reproduction (Copenhagen, Denmark) (2023/06/25 - 2023/06/25)
Workshop (Member of the Organising Committee)
 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2023/03/10 - 2023/03/11 Campus Course: Basic training course for infertility counselling - practice and new challenges (Prague, Czech Republic) (2023/03/10 - 2033/03/11)
Workshop (Member of the Organising Committee)
 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2022/11/10 - 2022/11/11 Postgraduate Research Conference (2022/11/10 - 2022/11/11)
Conference (Co-organisor)
 School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2022/10/14 - 2022/10/15 Campus Course: Polyparenthood - ethical, legal and psychological challenges (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) (2022/10/14 - 2022/10/15)
Workshop (Member of the Organising Committee)
 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Belgium
2021/07/14 - 2021/07/14 Postgraduate Research Poster Conference (2021/07/14 - 2021/07/14)
Conference (Co-organisor)
 School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2024/07 - 2024/07 Invited Chair
Conference
 40th Annual Meeting of ESHRE. Session 23: Novel insights on psychosocial outcomes. Amsterdam, NL
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2024/07 - 2024/07 Invited Chair
Conference
 Pre-congress Course of the 40th Annual Meeting of the ESHRE. What happens when everything “fails”? Psychosocial counselling on unsuccessful trajectories. Amsterdam, NL.
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2023/06 - 2023/06 Invited Chair
Conference
 39th Annual Meeting of ESHRE. Poster session. Copenhagen, DK. Hum Reprod.
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2023/05 - 2023/05 Invited Chair
Meeting
 Webinar. Dealing with third-party reproduction: Recommendations for patients, donors, and children. Online
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2023/03 - 2023/03 Invited Chair
Workshop
 ESHRE Campus Course. Basic training course for infertility counselling: practice and new challenges. Prague, CZ
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium

Ad Hoc journal article review

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2023 - Current Reproductive BioMedicine Online [RBMO] Elsevier
2023 - Current Reproductive Health BioMed Central Ltd.
2023 - Current BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth BioMed Central Ltd.
2022 - Current Human Reproduction Open Oxford University Press
2022 - Current Human Reproduction Oxford University Press
2019 - Current Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation S. Karger AG

Association member

Society Organization name Role
2020/11 - Current British Fertility Society Member
2018/09 - Current Portuguese Psychologists Association [Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses] Effective member
2018/03 - Current European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Member

Committee member

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization
2023/07 - Current ESHRE Communications Committee
Member
 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2022/07 - Current Senior (Past Junior) Deputy of the ESHRE Psychology & Counselling Special Interest Group European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Belgium
2023/07 - 2024/07 ESHRE Young Talent Group
Member
 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2020/10 - 2023/10 PhD Student Representative Cardiff University School of Psychology, United Kingdom

Consulting

Activity description Institution / Organization
2024/06 - Current Research Consultant European Fertility Society - EFS, United Kingdom

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2022/10 - 2023 PS2011 Developmental Psychology Psychology (Bachelor) School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2020/10 - 2022 PS2024 Psychological Research Skills Psychology (Bachelor) School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

Evaluation committee

Activity description
Role 		Institution / Organization Funding entity
2024/03 - 2024/03 Evaluation of the Psychology and Counselling abstracts submitted for oral/poster presentation at the 39th European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting 2023
Evaluator
 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium
2023/03 - 2023/03 Evaluation of the Psychology and Counselling abstracts submitted for oral/poster presentation at the 39th European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting 2023
Evaluator
 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium

Interview (newspaper / magazine)

Activity description Newspaper / Forum
2022/07 Conversas Sub-30: “Desde que fui embora, vejo a cidade de uma forma diferente, para melhor”, reconhece Mariana Sousa Leite Porto City Hall

Journal scientific committee

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2024/01 - Current Human Reproduction Update Oxford university press
Distinctions

Award

2024 Nominated for Hadyn Ellis Prize for Best PhD
Cardiff University School of Psychology, United Kingdom
2022 First Prize in Paper Presentation | Junior category
FUSION2022 - ESHRE, IFS and ISAR International Conference on Reproductive Medicine, India
2022 Third Prize in the Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®)
Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2021 Nominated for PhD Junior Researcher prize
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
2020 Merit-based Scholarship
General Directorate of Higher Education (DGES), Portugal
2019 Excellence Scholarship prize
University of Minho, Portugal

Other distinction

2023 One of the five ESHRE Young Ambassadors
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology - ESHRE, Belgium