Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology

I am a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (CPsychol) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). My main experience and interests are in health. I have a background in healthcare, having previously been a Registered Nurse, working as a staff nurse, nurse health coach and in drug safety as a drug safety associate. I completed my BSc Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire (1996) and then returned to study to complete an MSc in Health Psychology at the University of Bedfordshire (2007). I then went on to complete my PhD at the University looking at what factors predict alcohol use in adolescents and students and exploring the potential to create interactive methods of intervention to prevent misuse, such as using role-play and computer games.

I first started teaching at the University in 2009 when I was employed as a visiting lecturer, I remained in this role in the School of Psychology and went on to secure my first lectureship in 2013 within the School. In 2020 I was promoted to senior lecturer and my current role is the course coordinator for the MSc Applied (conversion) course. I also contribute widely to teaching and to the coordination of units on the Health Psychology MSc and undergraduate health-related units. Based on my knowledge and experiences I have co-authored an undergraduate level text, “health psychology the basics”.

My current research interests are in chronic illness and pain management particularly around intervention design and using sound/music and drama in pain and wellbeing. I am also interested in adolescent health and the use of role-play and technology driven methods in adolescent/student risk behaviour such as drinking, smoking, risky sexual behaviour and gaming.