Dr Rita Hitching, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD (Psychiatry) area of interest is the relationship between sleep and psychiatric disorders. 

Recognised for her innovative approach to the delivery of insomnia treatment. Her work aims to harness the immersive and interactive capabilities of virtual reality to provide effective therapeutic interventions for individuals struggling with chronic insomnia and associated mood and anxiety symptoms.  She actively contributes to the advancement of knowledge and collaboration in the fields of psychiatry, rehabilitation, and sleep medicine. 

She is the Chair of the Public Education and Media Dissemination Committee and Editor of Briefing Books at the American Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies. Her editorial contributions play a pivotal role in disseminating emerging research and advancements in the field of behavioural and cognitive therapies to lay audiences.