The Health Psychology @ Warwick group (HP@W) brings together researchers from across Warwick University who undertake research into behavioural and psychological processes in health and health care.

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Members

Kristina Curtis

Kristina Curtis worked for a number of years as an Account Manager in Digital Marketing before returning to full time study. Kristina completed an MSc with distinction in Health Psychology at Coventry University, fulfilling stage one of the British Psychological Society’s qualification for a chartered Health Psychologist. Her PhD at the Institute of Digital Healthcare now gives her the opportunity to combine her experience of working with web 2.0 technologies and her knowledge of psychological theory, intervention design and healthcare research to carry out research in the area of behaviour change and technology. Kristina’s PhD project specifically looks into the area of health promotion and the mechanisms of psychological theory and technology that can best reach, change and sustain health behaviour change in parents of overweight or very overweight children. Kristina has won a small grant from NHS Warwickshire to develop a healthy eating App to support parents in providing a healthier diet for their children.

Kristina is currently the module leader for ‘Intro to Psychology for Exercise, Health and Nutrition’ at Coventry University and will shortly be starting a supervisory role for master students at Warwick Medical School. Kristina is also a chair of the Digital Health Special Interest Group (SIG).

Amy Grove

Amy Grove has an MSc (hons) in Health Psychology and BSc (hons) in Human Psychology. She has worked as a researcher in the field of health services management since 2007, with particular focus on evidence based practice within the NHS. Amy is currently the Research Manager for Warwick Evidence. This group undertakes reviews and evidence synthesis on the clinical and cost effectiveness of health care interventions for the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme on behalf of a range of policy makers, including the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Her recent work has focused on the treatment of heart failure, arthritis and diabetes in the UK population.

Dr Alison Hipwell

Dr Alison Hipwell is a Chartered Psychologist, a Research Fellow at Warwick Medical School, and former Arthritis Research UK Educational Research Fellow. With considerable experience of working with young people and adults from divergent backgrounds, Alison's research interests include the self-management of long term health conditions, such as arthritis and diabetes, from the perspectives of patients, their families and carers, and multi-disciplinary health professional teams. With particular interests in addressing social inequalities in health, Alison's work also includes behaviour change educational intervention development, and professional education.

Dr Caroline Huxley

Dr Caroline Huxley is a Chartered Psychologist who is currently working as a Research Fellow in the Division of Health Sciences at Warwick Medical School. Her research interests include management of long-term conditions, promoting healthy lifestyles, body image, dieting and disordered eating behaviours, and the psychology of women.

Atiya Kamal

Atiya Kamal is a Research Associate working on the Families for Health RCT within the Division of Health Sciences at Warwick Medical School. A mixed-methods researcher with experience of conducting focus groups and one-to-one interviews with children and adults, and familiar with psychometrics and scale development. Key research areas include understanding children’s compensatory health beliefs, prevention and treatment of obesity.

Dr Eleni Karasouli

Dr Eleni Karasouli is a Chartered Psychologist, working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Warwick Medical
School. Her research concentrates on the development and evaluation of interventions and risk assessment tools, as well as on the exploration of risk/ protective factors, patient experiences, behaviour, decision-making, wellbeing and models of care. These are related to physical health, especially chronic conditions, areas of end of life, with a particular interest in obesity, self-harm and suicide. Her research uses a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies (e.g. epidemiology, multivariate statistical analysis, grounded theory, framework analysis). She has been teaching and supervising students on both Psychology and Medical courses. She is the co-editor of the Midlands Health Psychology Network Newsletter and the co-chair of the Early Career Researchers Network at Warwick Medical School.

Dr Katerina Kassavou

Dr Katerina Kassavou is a Health Psychologist, who is currently a Post Doctoral Researcher at the Centre for Primary Care and Public Health at Queen Mary, University of London. Her research interests are on designing, implementing and testing the efficacy of interventions to change behaviours related to health. She has relevant experience in group walking and smoking cessation interventions. Her research covers a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies (e.g. meta-analysis, multi-perspective qualitative analyses). Currently she is undertaking a Cochrane EPOC review on Behaviour Change Interventions implemented by and at Community Pharmacists.

Dr Shilpa Patel

Dr Shilpa Patel is a Health and Care Professions Council registered Psychologist who practices within a Pain Clinic at Milton Keynes NHS Foundation Trust where she had built substantial experience of delivering pain management services. Her clinical work maps onto her academic role as a Research Fellow within the Clinical Trials Unit at Warwick Medical School. Her research focuses on the management of long term conditions and in particular, musculoskeletal disorders.

Dr Harbinder Sandhu

Dr Harbinder Sandhu, is an Assistant Professor, Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School. Her research includes the application of Health Psychology in behavioural change interventions and the management of long term conditions (chronic pain) and also in the area of clinician-patient communication. She currently leads the Health Psychology module for the MBChB undergraduate medical programme and contributes to other postgraduate and health professional teaching and training. Her clinical work currently at Milton Keynes NHS Foundation Trust is in the area of pain management with adults, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with young adults and their parents/carers.

Sukhdev Sembi

Sukhdev Sembi is a Research Associate attached to Warwick Infant and Family Wellbeing Unit (WiFWu) at the University of Warwick. She recently completed an MSc in Health Psychology and a Foundation Degree in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is currently working on the NSPCC ‘Parents under Pressure Study’, which is examining the benefits of intensive home-based support for drug and alcohol dependent parents with babies.