Maris kirjutab oma doktoritööd Cambridge’i ülikooli kognitiiv- ja ajuteaduste üksuses ja töötab selle kõrval Praxises osakoormusel. Kõige enam pakub talle huvi elanikkonna heaolu ja see kuidas kontekst inimeste käitumist mõjutab.  Nii jagab ta Praxises oma aega mõlema valdkonna vahel. Poliitkalaboris rakendab ta oma psühholoogiateadmisi selleks, et luua käitumisteaduslikel taipamistel põhinevaid sekkumisi. Samuti mõõdab ta nende mõju juhuslikustatud kontrolluuringute abil ja vajadusel ka muid metoodikaid kasutades. Varem töötas Maris Cambridge’i ülikoolis, kus uuris laste ja noorte vaimse tervise teenuseid ning nende korraldust, rakendades nii kvantitatiivsed kui ka kvalitatiivseid lähenemisi. Nii panustab ta ka Praxise Tervisepoliitika valdkonna töödesse, iseäranis neisse, mis puudutavad vaimset tervist. Samuti on Marise jaoks südamelähedane teadusliku tõenduspõhja kvaliteedi tõstmine ja avatud teaduse põhimõtete juurutamine. Ülevaate tema avaldatud teadusartiklitest leiab siit.

Vabal ajal võib Marist leida Euroopa tantsupõrandatel svingimas või bluusimas. Maris räägib inglise keelt kõrgtasemel, saksa ja hispaania keelt kesktasemel ning vene keelt algtasemel.

Maris joined Praxis in 2018. Previously, she worked at the University of Cambridge for five years. Her research focussed on the design of the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). In addition, she was part of the team that tested the effectiveness and acceptability of the provision of mindfulness training in reducing students’ exam stress (turned out, it worked well). Maris has experience with various research methods from randomised controlled trials to the Delphi method while analysing both quantitative as well as qualitative data. Before joining the University, she worked at the Cambridgeshire’s CAMHS as the Data Manager leading routine outcome data collection and the use of data to improve services. This experience offered her practical know-how about the organisation and funding of health services. An overview of Maris’ publications is available here.

Maris studied Psychology in the Estonian universities of Tallinn and Tartu. She wrote her Master’s thesis as an exchange student at the University of Konstanz in Germany. Maris is interested in social and behavioural psychology and creating circumstances which enable people to make better choices for themselves. She is also an avid advocate for evidence-informed policy.

In her free time, Maris can be found swing dancing on Europe’s dance floors or reading in a cosy armchair at home. Maris is fluent in English and Estonian, she can also converse in German and Spanish as well as express the basics in Russian.