Dr. Kayla Cooley
I’m Dr. Kayla Cooley, suicide researcher, nonprofit director, and educator based in Limerick, Ireland. My work explores how suicide shows up online and can shaped by digital culture, harmful online content. I specialise in suicide methods and locations.
Through both academic research and frontline crisis reposnse work, I aim to challenge how we think about suicide prevention, intervention and postvention care in complex, intersectional contexts.
Other areas of interest include LGBTQ issues, queer parenting and social activism.
Current Projects
The PGRH
Founder and managing the Postgraduate Research Hub. The PGRH is a digital community of over 1000 members, connecting postgraduate researchers all around the world.
Academic Scholar
My PhD took a transdisciplinary approach to exploring the intersection of suicide and our digital lives. I’m a critical suicidologist and my research explores harmful or extreme content online.
Non-Profit Work
I am co-founder and chairperson of a non-profit working in the area of suicide since 2016. I’m also involved and deeply passionate about a number of LGBTQ+ projects.
Media
Dr. Kayla Cooley is a transdisciplinary researcher and critical suicidologist whose work explores the intersections of life, death, the internet, and online extremism. Focussing on pro-suicide content, digital subcultures, and the ethics of online engagement, her research critically examines the ways technology shapes narratives of death, dying, and grief. Beyond suicidology, she is deeply engaged with queer history, culture, and the evolving landscape of digital communities. Kayla’s work challenges dominant discourses, advocating for nuanced, ethically informed approaches to how we perceive suicide, mental health, harm reduction, autonomy and digital safety.