I am Professor of Psychology and Public Health Equity, a Chartered Psychologist, and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. I am also a member of the American Psychological Association, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My main research focus lies in reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for underserved communities.

My teaching involves project supervision on the MSc Health Psychology programme, as well as supervision of undergraduate dissertations, doctorate students, and PhD students.

My roles include Deputy Chair of the SSSHL Psychology Research Ethics Committee, Lead for Mentoring and Promotions, as well as Lead for Research Culture, for the Institute for Collective Place Leadership, where I am also part of the leadership team for the Empowered and Inclusive Research theme.

I completed a BSc in Psychology, an MSc in Health Psychology and a PhD in Psychology at Teesside University. Additionally, I gained a Vordiplom in Psychology from Heidelberg University in Germany.

My research focuses on health psychology and public health, covering preventative health behaviours, health in ethnic minority populations, and psychosocial aspects of long-term conditions. Through my work, I aim to contribute to helping people lead healthier, longer, and happier lives.

My recent and current research projects span a range of public health concerns, including vaccine acceptance in ethnic minority groups, childhood vaccine hesitancy, the effectiveness of cancer awareness interventions, and interventions for long-term health conditions. These projects, funded by organisations such as the NIHR, Public Health England, Prostate Cancer Research, the Youth Endowment Fund, and local authorities, aim to improve health outcomes through community-centered approaches and evidence-based interventions. They cover diverse areas from mental health support for young people to barriers to healthcare access among minority populations.

I collaborate with academic, public sector, and non-profit organisations. My research projects have been funded by the NIHR, Prostate Cancer Research, the Youth Endowment Fund, and other bodies, and contribute to public health strategies and knowledge. In the public sector, my collaborations with organisations like Public Health England and local councils, have been instrumental in conducting research that informs local public health policies and campaigns. My work with non-profit organisations has focused on community-based health initiatives, aiming to address health disparities and promote health and wellbeing in underrepresented populations.

I am External Examiner for the MSc Psychology programme at the University of Strathclyde, with a specific responsibility for the health psychology/public health modules. My involvement in research networks includes founding member and board member of the International Network for Research into Psychosocial Adjustment and Rehabilitation (INRePAR) and membership of the International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol & Other Drugs (INEBRIA), as well as of The International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) and Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health.

Furthermore, I am an editorial board member of the journal Clinical Pharmacy Connect, associate editor for the Journal of Public Health Research (Sage) and a guest consulting editor for Health Psychology (APA).

My peer review activities span a diverse range of journals and funding bodies in psychology and public health. I have reviewed articles for over 50 scientific journals, for example, Psychology and Health, European Journal of Cancer Care, and BMJ Public Health. I am also a grants reviewer for NIHR Public Health Research, Breast Cancer Now, North West Cancer Research, Fonds d’Innovation pour le Développement, and a member of the UKRI Talent Peer Review College. 

I am open to supervising PhD students in health psychology and public health, particularly those interested in vaccine hesitancy, health behaviour change, and psychosocial aspects of cancer screening.