Presentation at international meeting on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in 2019, jointly organised by the World Health Organization and the University of Verona.
More about me...
I'm a chartered heath psychologist and registered HCPC practitioner psychologist (PYL26688) with over 20 years' teaching and research experience. My specific interest is in the development and evaluation of health behaviour change interventions, particularly those applied to sexual and reproductive health. I have expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, systematic reviewing (including meta-analysis), intervention development, and process and outcome evaluation.
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I am a full member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), the Division of Health Psychology (DHP), the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS), and the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine (UKSMB).
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I contribute to the development of my profession through positions on editorial boards (e.g. Frontiers in Digital Health), funding committees (e.g. NIHR Research for Patient Benefit, World Health Organization (WHO) Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Project Review Panel (RP2)), and specialist groups (e.g. EHPS Specialist Interest Group in Digital Health and Computer Tailoring), and though invited national/international presentations (e.g. WHO's department of reproductive health and research, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)) and PhD examination.
Brief bio
I began working at Coventry University (CU) in 2002 as a part-time research assistant whilst completing an MSc in Health Psychology. I was subsequently promoted to senior research assistant (2005), research fellow (2012), and then associate professor (2016).
During this time I worked across multiple projects, largely focussed around sexual and reproductive health. My income stream included funding from established bodies (e.g. Medical Research Council (MRC), the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)) and local government (Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council) with whom I developed strong links.
In 2013, I completed my PhD (alongside part-time working at CU). My thesis was focussed on the development of a behaviour change intervention to increase condom use through changing chlamydia risk appraisals.
In 2019, I moved to the University of Hertfordshire as an associate professor, continuing my work on sexual heath through leadership of the NIHR-funded Wrapped feasibility RCT, and on public health more broadly though my position as co-investigator on the NIHR-funded PHIRST programme of research.
Education
2010-2013
Coventry University
PhD Health Psychology
Thesis: Changing chlamydia risk appraisals: Development and proposed evaluation of an intervention based on theory and evidence
2001-2002
Coventry University
MSc Health Psychology (Distinction)
Dissertation: Post-traumatic stress disorder after childbirth
1995-1995
University of Liverpool
BSc Psychology (2.1)