I am a HCPC Registered Health Psychologist, Professor of Applied Health Psychology and Behavioural Scientist within the School of Health and Life Sciences. I lead the Centre for Population Health and Healthcare. 

My research programme focuses on developing and evaluating complex behaviour change interventions to improve physical and mental health outcomes, utilising both digital technologies and person-centred approaches. I led an NIHR funded Research Partnership in Liver Disease that continues to positively impact research effots across the Tees Valley. I also co-lead a £2.5m NIHR funded Mental Health Leaders Award that aims to build capacity and capability in mental health research in the Tees Valley. 

My research addresses key health behaviours including diet, physical activity, exercise, and alcohol use, and explores how interventions can be integrated/implemented into healthcare pathways and systems to support long-term behavioural change and management of long term conditions. Much of my research has been conducted in the context of liver disease, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health, and prehabilitation. I lead multidisciplinary projects that combine behavioural science, healthcare delivery, and digital innovation. I used mixed-methods to develop and evaluate interventions, and I work collaboratively with patients and service users to ensure interventions meet their needs. 

I have served, and continue to serve on several national and international committees and expert working groups, including those developing prehabilitation guidance for people living with cancer (Macmillan-NIHR-CPOC 2024-25), treatment guidelines for metabolic dysfunction steatotic liver disease (British Association for the Study of Liver [BASL] SIG, 2025-26), and NHSE Early Diagnosis of Liver Cancer Expert Advisory Group (2026). I currently sit on an external funding panel for the NIHR Academy (NIHR PASF, 2026) and provide external peer review for other external research funders. 

I am passionate about mentorship of students and early-career researchers. I regularly provide mentorship and support to clinicians to incorporate health psychology and behavioural science into their everyday working practices as well as their research proposals, including appropriate methods to ensure robust evaluation.

Memberships and Professional Activities

Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society 

Full member of the British Psychological Society, Division of Health Psychology

British Psychological Society accredited supervisor for the Stage 2 Qualification in Health Psychology

Member of the European Health Psychology Society

Associate Member of Fuse, The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health

Past Deputy theme lead, Integrated Physical and Mental Health, NIHR ARC

Past member of the Teesside University Research Culture and People Committee (Scholl of Health and Life Sciences representative)

Panel member for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) PASF, peer reviewer and subject matter expert for the NIHR PRP, the Medical Research Council, and the British Heart Foundation. 

Qualifications

MRC Funded PhD in Health Psychology, Newcastle University
Stage 2 Qualification in Health Psychology, British Psychological Society
PgCert Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, Teesside University
MSc Health Psychology, Teesside University
BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Liverpool

Professional Registration

Chartered Psychologist (C. Psychol), British Psychological Society
Practitioner Health Psychologist, Health & Care Professions Council

Research Funding

O’Doherty A, Avery L, Monekosso D, Hadzidedic S, Livingston R, Danjoux G, Durrand J, Lakhani A, Court P. Optimisation of a co-produced, multibehavioural digital prehabilitation intervention for patients preparing for major surgery. EPSRC, Northern Health Futures Hub, 2025-2026.

Giles E, Coventry P, Ekers D, Lake A, O’Neil C, Smith J, Suri S, Avery L, Moore H, Daniel S, Martin D, Fishburn S, Proctor E. Mental Health Leader Award. NIHR PGfAR, Jan 2025-Dec 2029.

Avery L, Hardy T, Hallsworth K, McPherson S, Trenell M, Gately P, Lake A, Hancock H, Teare D, Gray Y, Lloyd S. Improving detection and Management of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Creation of a Tees Valley Research Partnership Hub. NIHR-EME, Feb 2023-July 2024.

Avery L, MacGowan G, Dewhurst M, Hann, K, Hartshorne-Evans N, Flynn D, Batterham A, Innerd A, Charman S. Feasibility of a theory-informed behavioural intervention to promote uptake of cardiac rehabilitation and increase habitual physical activity levels of heart failure patients (InAct-HF). Translational Research Project Grant, Heart Research UK, Feb 2023-July 2024.

Hallsworth K, McPherson S, Avery L. Assessing the feasibility of an evidence-informed digital intervention to support self-management in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Joint Research Executive Scientific Committee (JRESC), Newcastle Hospitals Charity, Nov 2022- Mar 2024.

Avery L, Barker J. Evaluation of the clinical support worker role in the context of mental health, Integrated Care System, Northeast and Cumbria, Aug 2022-July 2023.

Avery L, Danjoux G, Tew G, Gray J, Durrand J, Yates D. Digital prehabilitation before major surgery. Sport England, June 2021-May 2023.

Avery L, Teke Epse Che J, Flynn D, Haines R. Identifying the barriers and enablers to uptake and adherence to the low-calorie diet programme for type 2 diabetes remission in people from ethnic minority groups. NIHR Research Capability Funding, Feb to Sept 2021.

Avery L, Birrell K, Ansari I, Andrews L, Morgan P, Flynn D. Development of digital prototype of REAL SDM. NHS England and Innovation, Northeast and Yorkshire Region - Personalised care team, Jan 2021 to Dec 2021.

Flynn D, Avery L, Birrell K, Gordon I, Ansari I, Andrews L, Morgan P. REAL general practice toolkit for Shared Decision Making (REAL SDM): Developing a skills development programme to prepare patients with type 2 diabetes and mental health difficulties to engage in person-centred discussions with clinicians to identify their priorities and options for living well. NIHR ARC NENC, Jan 2021 to 31st Dec 2021.

Hallsworth, K., Jakovljevic D., Cassidy, S., Charman, S., Houghton, D., Avery, L., Okwose, N., Taylor, R. An open non-randomised pilot study to assess acceptability and feasibility of an internet / mobile phone enhanced service pathway for the management of prediabetes. Changing Health Ltd, 2018-19.

Snowden CP, Avery L, Gerrand C, Prentis J, Haighton CA, Howell D, McColl E, Kaner E. Preoperative Behavioural Intervention for Risky Drinkers before elective orthopaedic Surgery (PreopBIRDS). NIHR-HTA, 2016-19.

Jakovljevic J, MacGowan G, Avery L, Skinner J, Bailey K, O'Brien N. Personalised home-based physical activity intervention in older adults with heart failure: advancing towards an effective clinical therapy, NIHR-BRC, 2015-16.

Trenell MI, Avery L, Taylor L. Pharmacy enhanced services for people with Type 2 diabetes (2015). Medical Research Council.

Kaner E, Avery L, Presseau J, Sniehotta F, Thomson R, Vale L. PhD awards for improvement science, Health Foundation, 2014-17.

Newbury-Birch D, Gilvarry E, McArdle P, Ramesh V, Stewart S, Walker J, Avery L, Beyer F, Brown, N, Jackson K, Lock C, McGovern R, Kaner E. The impact of alcohol consumption on young people: A review of reviews, Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009.

Kaner E, Avery L, Brown N, Jackson K, Mason H, Newbury-Birch D. A rapid review of evidence on liver disease epidemiology, treatment and services, NIHR-PRP, 2007.

PhD Supervision: Current

Jeanette Morris, 2019-2026 (part-time), Co-design of COPD-specific pain education in pulmonary rehabilitation, Teesside University. 

Sarah Wilkie, 2023-2027, Development of a just-in-time adaptive intervention to support behaviour change for hazardous drinkers, University of Bristol.

Philip Flanagan, 2025-2030, Co-development of a training intervention to target staff perceptions of risk to improve outcomes for people with severe mentall illness at risk of suicide , Teesside University

PhD Supervision: Completed

Dr Sebastian Potthoff, 'Making good quality care habitual: An exploration of the concept of habit in relation to healthcare professional behaviour' Health Foundation Doctoral Fellowship 2014-2017, Newcastle University.

Dr Rebecca Brown, 'The effect of vitamin D and physical activity on knee osteoarthritis symptoms in older obese adults: A mixed methods study' MRC Doctoral Fellowship 2014-2017, Newcastle University.

Dr Nduka Okwose, A novel, home-based physical activity intervention for chronic heart failure; exploring safety, feasibility, effectiveness and patients’ experiences' 2015-2018, Newcastle University.

Dr Jadine Scragg, 'Lifestyle as therapy for liver disease' 2017-2021. Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Doctoral Award, Newcastle University.

Dr Matthew Cooper, 'Development and evaluation of a social prescribing model for mental health' 2019-2023, Teesside University.

Dr Kirsten Ashley, 'Development of a theory-based intervention targeting consultation behaviour of clinicians and physical activity/exercise behaviour of adults with chronic heart failure' 2019-2023, Teesside University. 

Dr Cara Jordan, 2019-2023, 'Systematic development of a behavioural intervention to target an increase in daily physical activity levels of people living with heart failure', Teesside University.

Dr Oliver Bell, 2018-2025 (part-time), 'The systematic development of a complex community-based men’s health intervention, the 12th man'. NUFC Foundation Doctoral Award, Newcastle University.

Dr Hollie Smith, 2022-2025, Lifestyle intervention to improve management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, Teesside University.

Sandra Nwokoroku, 2021-2026, Development of suicide prevention toolkit to support people with mental health conditions during public health emergencies, Teesside University. 

Stage 2 Qualification in Health Psychology (Doctoral) trainees

Current:

Sarah Wilkie, University of Bristol, 2023-2026

Hollie Smith, Teesside University, 2023-2026

Jeanette Morris, Teesside University, 2021-2026.

Completed:

Rebecca Livingston, Teesside University, Development, delivery, and evaluation of a multibehavioural prehabilitation programme for patients listed for major surgery, 2022-2025.

Kirsten Ashley, Teesside University. Development and evaluation of behavioural interventions for people with type 2 diabetes, 2018-2021.

Sebastian Potthoff, Newcastle University. Healthcare Professional Behaviour Change in the context of Type 2 Diabetes management and Alcohol consumption in primary and secondary care, 2015-2018.