Yamini Negi

Yamini Negi is an avid educator and researcher, with an experience of more than 7 years, in the field of mental health and well-being. She graduated from the University of Delhi and pursued an MSc. Mental Health Research from the University of Nottingham, U.K., for which she was the recipient of the ‘Developing Solutions Scholarship’ offered by the university. She is also the co-founder and former CEO, of Psych Rich Wellness, a mental health platform providing counselling and therapy. Prior to joining academia, she was leading the Research and Development department at Psych Rich Wellness.

Apart from research and academics, she is a dedicated Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practitioner, and has been a trainer for many organizations including the Border Security Forces (BSF).

• 2021-current: Assistant Professor, Psychology, UPES
• 2017-current: Mental Health Professional, Independent Consultant
• 2018-2021: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Psych Rich Wellness, India
• 2017-2018: Head, Research and Development, Psych Rich Wellness, India

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy | Mental Health of Young Adults | Depression | Suicidal Ideation| Cost-effective Psychological Interventions | College Mental Health

Yamini is an advocate of evidence-based practice, and her area of expertise is Mental Health Research, Depression, and Mindfulness-based interventions. Her work focuses on adolescents and young adults, primarily in university settings. Her another line of research is aimed at promoting student mental health.

Yamini believes education to be an instrument to develop not just minds, but also hearts. To achieve this, she makes the learning process as personally meaningful to the learner, through action and practice. She emphasises research to be an integral part of the teaching process. Her classroom interactions aim at preparing the students to ask relevant questions on solving real-life problems around them, and use the knowledge gained in the classroom to figure out workable solutions. The inculcation of ethics is of utmost importance to her, that can reflect both in the student’s personal and academic life.

• Research Methods in Psychology
• Mindfulness Based Practices for Well-being
• Introduction to Psychology- I
• Introduction to Psychology- II
• Psychological Counselling Skills
• Managing Relationships and Being Happy
• Ethical Leadership
• Leadership and Teamwork

• 2024-2025: Critically-timed sleep+light interventions (SALI) differentially improve mood in young adults with depression; SEED Grant, UPES (INR 6,59,000) [PI]
• 2024-2025: An examination of daily suicidal ideation and associated stressors in an emerging adult sample in Northern India; Global Health Research Innovation Centre, Miami University, USA, (USD 2,900) [Co-PI].
• 2023-2025: Promoting a conducive academic environment by addressing campus interpersonal violence at Indian Higher Education Institution; University of California, Berkeley (USD 50,000) [Co-PI].
• 2022-2023: Exploring the efficacy of a yoga-based positive psychology intervention on stress, subjective and psychological well-being in adults; Seed Grant, UPES (INR 80,000) [PI].

Prof. Yamini has contributed significantly in the field of Psychology at UPES. She was the programme lead for B.Sc. Psychology and Behaviour till 2023 and was instrumental in establishing UPES’ first lab dedicated to psychological research, equipped with industry standard equipment. She has been actively working towards national and international research collaborations and is presently working with researchers from Miami University, the University of Louisville, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Oxford. Her current research focuses on suicidal ideation, depression, mindfulness based interventions for university students, and interpersonal violence on campuses.

yamini.negi@ddn.upes.ac.in