Personal statement

My background is in Exercise and Health Psychology (MSc, PhD) and my research interests are mainly focussed around investigating behaviour change, particularly in hard to reach populations. I have recently completed a University of Strathclyde Chancellor's Fellowship, which focussed on designing, developing and evaluating lifestyle interventions for youth with special health needs. 

I am involved in an externally funded grant 'We-Belong: Wearables for Better Mental Health in Children and Adolescents' in partnership with collaborators at Haukeland University Hospital and Bergen Health Trust.  

I am also in the supervisory team for 2 PhD studentships and 1 MRes studentship;

First/primary/lead supervisor:

1) PhD project title: Development of a digital intervention to increase physical activity in adults with intellectual disabilities.

 2) MRes Project title: Co-creation of a combined physical activity, pain education and behaviour change intervention to increase free-living physical activity and health related quality of life in people living with persistent pain.

Second supervisor:

3) PhD Project title: Developing a Digital Self-Management tool for People with Chronic Pain. This project aims to facilitate the development of a digital self-management tool using co-design activities to help people with Chronic Pain better manage their symptoms at home leading to an improved Quality of Life (QoL).

Before moving to the University of Strathclyde, I was a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow. I worked on a variety of studies with individuals with intellectual disabilities, including an RCT, which examined the effectiveness of a walking intervention (Walk Well) with adults with intellectual disabilities. Walk Well was a multi- disciplinary study which involved collaborations from the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, University of Edinburgh and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. 

I have also played a key role in the evaluation of national physical activity programmes. For example, the Fit for Girls programme (funded by sportscotland and the Youth Sport Trust), which aimed to increase physical activity in adolescent girls across schools in Scotland. I also led the evaluation of the Venture Trust Next Steps programme, an outdoor education programme for female offenders.