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Profile

I am a Senior Research Fellow supported by an NIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship. My broad research interests include the development and optimisation of complex interventions to prevent and manage cancer. Specific interests include psychological and behavioural factors impacting those with cancer, optimisation trials and clinical trials methodology. My background is in psychology and behavioural science, and I use a range of quantiative and qualitative methods.

Optimising Psychological Therapy for managing Fear Of cancer Recurrence (OPT-FOR): 2026-2031

My NIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship focuses on developing and pilot testing a psychological intervention to support the management of fear of cancer recurrence. It involves developing an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) based intervention, using the person based approach. The intervention will be tested for feasibility and acceptability in a pilot optimisation trial, with a nested mixed-methods process evaluation. This work is guided by the Multiphase Optimisation Strategy (MOST), which is an engineering inspired framework to develop more effective, efficient, affordable and scalable interventions. I am supported by four mentors (Professor Sam Smith, Professor Chris Graham, Associate Professor Michelle Collinson, Dr Jillian Strayhorn) and a wide range of collaborators.

NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement Award (2024-2026)

I completed an NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement Award, enabling me to develop my skills and expertise in clinical trials and optimisation trials. I specifically focused on the seconday analysis of optimisation trial data to enhance our understanding of how complex interventions may be having their effect and for whom they work best for. I undertook training in a range of areas including, randomised controlled trials, optimisation trials, health economics, diversity and inclusion in research, implementation science, Bayesian analysis, structural equation modelling, mixture modelling, leadership, and building impact.

NIHR Undergraduate Internship Programme (2025-2026)

I line-managed and mentored an undergraduate intern to complete an 8-week internship in our instittute. They undertook analysis of qualitative data from the ROSETA pilot optimisation trial.

Refining and Optimising a behavioural intervention to Support Endocrine Therapy Adherence (ROSETA) (2020-2026)

I completed my PhD (2021-2024) as part of the NIHR funded ROSETA trial (PI: Professor Samuel Smith). During my PhD (2021-2024) I developed the four intervention components being tested in the ROSETA trial; SMS messages, information leaflet, acceptance and commitment therpay and a side-effect management website, and led a mixed-methods process evaluation nested in the pilot optimisation trial. ROSETA is guided by the MOST framework, to establish the most effective combination of intervention components. I continue to support the ROSETA optimisation trial.

ACTION (2018-2022)

The Yorkshire Cancer Research funded ACTION trial (PIs: Professor Sam Smith and Professor Chris Graham) pilot tested a group-based ACT intervention to support medication decision-making and quality of life in women with breast cancer. I led the qualitative process evaluation nested in the pilot trial.

Other

In 2022 I was awarded a Health Behaviour International Collaborative Award, sponsored by the International Behavioural Trials Network. This award facilitated a collaboration with Professor Linda Collins and Dr Jillian Strayhorn from New York University, to conduct a secondary analysis of an optimiation trial dataset I generated during my PhD. This secondary analysis applied a Bayesian approach to decision making in optimisation trials, when there are multiple valued outcomes. Other awards include a research excellence award for my PhD, the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Faculty of Medicine and Health Postgraduate Researcher Partnership award 2023, the US Society of Behavioural Medicine Optimisation special interest group student research abstract award in 2023, the International Behavioural Trials Network outstanding poster presentation award in 2022, and the UK Society of Behavioural Medicine top three scoring abstract award in 2022. I have also been awarded three travel/ international strategy funding awards to facilitate international research visits.

I currently sit on the Prevent Breast Cancer Scientific Advisory Board (2026-2029), and the International Collaborations Committee within the International Society of Behavioural Medicine. I am also a member of the NIHR Better Methods Better Research panel as part of the NIHR Committee Member Development Scheme, and I am an Editorial Board member for the journal Trials. From 2024-2026 I chaired the UK Society of Behavioural Medicine Early Career Network, during which time I set up a new funding award for early career researchers to support development of collaborations.

My educational background includes a PhD from ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ (2024), MSc in Mental Health Studies from King’s College London (2019), and a BSc in Psychology from Durham University (2018). I have also completed training as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner in 2020, obtaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions at University College London (UCL).

Research interests

• Behavioural science/ behaviour change
• Complex intervention development
• Cancer prevention and management
• Intervention optimisation (Multiphase Optimisation Strategy)/ optmisation trials
• Secondary analysis of optimisation trials
• Process evaluations (mixed-methods)
• Clinical trials methodology

Qualifications

• BSc Psychology, Durham University (2018)
• MSc Mental Health Studies, KCL (2019)
• PG Cert Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions, UCL (2020)
• FHEA

Student education

I have taught on undergraduate medicine tutorials and supervised undergraduate extended research and evaluation projects.I also supervise Master's and clinical doctorate research projects.

I gained my Fellowship of Advanced Higher Education (FHEA) in 2026.

Research groups and institutes

• Division of Primary Care, Palliative Care and Public Health
• ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Institute of Health Sciences