Professor Lynn Williams
Psychology
Personal statement
I am Associate Dean for REF and Research Culture in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Health Psychology within the Department for Psychological Sciences and Health. In teaching and research I specialise in Health Psychology. I have held a number of senior leadership roles, most recently as Head of Department for Psychological Sciences and Health (2021-2024) and previously as Athena SWAN lead and as a Programme Leader. Building on this experience, I am a Leadership and Career Coach for Academics, holding the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring. My coaching focuses on supporting academics at different career stages with leadership development, career progression, and role transitions.
I joined the Department in January 2017, having previously worked at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) for nine years. I completed my PhD in Health Psychology and MSc in Psychological Research Methods at the University of Stirling and undergraduate Psychology degree at the University of Glasgow.
My research and teaching expertise is within the area of health psychology. My research examines how people adapt to long‑term health conditions. I am currently exploring the lived experiences of women with endometriosis to support the development of tailored psychological interventions that improve mental health and wellbeing. I am also interested in the barriers and facilitators to health behaviour change, including vaccination behaviour. I have received funding from The Chief Scientist Office in Scotland, the NIHR, and the AHRC.
Publications
- Interventions to enhance work participation in people with chronic pain : a systematic review and meta-analysis including analysis of complex psychological intervention components
- McParland Joanna, Booth Lorna, Dibben Grace, Abaraogu Ukachukwu, Wainwright Elaine, Demou Evangelia, Williams Lynn, Flowers Paul, Kidd Lisa, Daniels Jo, Patwa Hussein, Wegrzynek Paulina, Audsley Sarah, O'Kane Ronald, Parchment Amelia, Ranaldi Hannah, Walker-Bone Karen
- British Journal of Health Psychology (2026)
- A mixed-methods investigation of coping, adaptation and health-related quality of life in individuals experiencing endometriosis
- Moore Chloe, Cogan Nicola, Williams Lynn
- Psychology and Health, pp. 1-21 (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2026.2650778
- Illness perceptions among individuals with endometriosis and their longitudinal associations with psychological distress and pain
- Moore Chloe, Cogan Nicola, Williams Lynn
- Journal of Health Psychology Vol 30, pp. 4284-4297 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053251320595
- Barriers to and facilitators of digital health technology adoption among older adults with chronic diseases : updated systematic review
- Hepburn Jennifer, Williams Lynn, McCann Lisa
- JMIR Aging Vol 8 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.2196/80000
- Barriers and facilitators to digital health technology adoption by older adults with chronic disease : an updated systematic review
- Hepburn Jennifer, Williams Lynn, McCann Lisa
- British Journal of General Practice Research & Publishing Conference (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp25X742161
- Prevalence of information- and advice-seeking by patients for newly prescribed medicines and interventions to promote these behaviours : scoping reviews
- Gangannagaripalli J, Andrews P, McIver L, Williams L, Eckler P, Dixon Diane, Watson Margaret C
- International Journal of Pharmacy Practice Vol 33, pp. 235–240 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpp/riaf014
Teaching
My teaching interests are in Health Psychology and I supervise dissertation students on the MSc Clinical Health Psychology.
Research Interests
My research examines how people adapt to long‑term health conditions and the factors that shape health behaviour change, including vaccination uptake. I am currently exploring the lived experiences of women with endometriosis to inform the development of tailored psychological interventions aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing.
Professional Activities
- Strath Methods series of seminars
- Invited speaker
- 1/9/2022
- Measuring Health Related Behaviour Change Workshop
- Participant
- 1/3/2021
- Webinar - Life with the coronavirus vaccine
- Recipient
- 1/12/2020
- Public webinar: 'Improving Vaccine Uptake in Scotland: Implications for COVID-19, influenza and other adult vaccines.'
- Speaker
- 29/7/2020
- External Examiner - Robert Gordon University
- Examiner
- 2020
- Infographic - Factors affecting flu vaccination in adults with chronic respiratory conditions in Scotland
- Recipient
- 2020
Projects
- Co-production of digital health resources to support individuals living with endometriosis
- Williams, Lynn (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2028
- Behaviour change techniques and theoretical mechanisms within psychological interventions seeking to improve work outcomes among individuals with chronic pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
- Williams, Lynn (Principal Investigator) Flowers, Paul (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2024
- Moral obligation, epistemology and public health: the case of vaccine hesitancy
- Williams, Lynn (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2024
- A mixed-methods investigation of the role of illness perceptions in endometriosis
- Williams, Lynn (Principal Investigator) Moore, Chloe (Post Grad Student) Cogan, Nicola (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 26-Jan-2024
- Covid-19 Vaccine Delivery Barriers in LMICs
- Megiddo, Itamar (Principal Investigator) Morton, Alec (Co-investigator) Williams, Lynn (Principal Investigator) Sheikh, Md Nurnabi (Researcher) Tagoe, Eunice T. (Researcher) Nonvignon, Justice (Co-investigator) Sarker, Abdur Razzaque (Co-investigator)
- The project aim is to gain understanding of the challenges and barriers to Covid-19 immunisation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which is a first step to developing a strategy for delivering a Covid-19 vaccine in these settings.
Findings were based on qualitative interviewes with stakeholders in two case-study countries: Ghana and Bangladesh.
Funding: £21,476 - 14-Jan-2020 - 01-Jan-2021
- Strathclyde COVID-19 Research Portfolio: Novel testing, digital health support and third sector collaboration for impact on social care
- Bedford, Tim (Principal Investigator) Corrigan, Damion (Co-investigator) Dunlop, Mark (Co-investigator) Egan, Kieren (Co-investigator) Fleming, Leanne (Co-investigator) Flowers, Paul (Co-investigator) Grealy, Madeleine (Co-investigator) Hoskisson, Paul (Co-investigator) Hunter, Iain (Co-investigator) Janssen, Xanne (Co-investigator) Kirk, Alison (Co-investigator) Knifton, Lee (Co-investigator) Lenhart, Otto (Co-investigator) Maguire, Roma (Co-investigator) Morton, Alec (Co-investigator) Quinn, Neil (Co-investigator) Scott, Fraser (Co-investigator) Suckling, Colin (Co-investigator) Ward, Andrew (Co-investigator) Williams, Lynn (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 16-Jan-2021