Why is the study and evaluation of behaviour change important in shaping healthcare, illness prevention and improving health outcomes? Why do we not simply change our behaviours to reduce the burden of ill health or prevent the onset of disease? Promoting and supporting good health behaviors in the prevention of illness is identified as a key strategy by NICE and guidance produced in 2007 set out core principles for practitioners to encourage people to adapt a healthy lifestyle. However, there is much yet to be learned in designing, testing and evaluating behaviour change interventions and application in the real world.  

As a Health Psychologist, my career has been shaped by exploring the interaction between biological, psychological and sociological factors in the management of long-term health conditions. Through this lecture I will take you through my portfolio of work as an academic and Practitioner Health Psychologist which has centered around the design, testing and evaluation of complex health behaviour change interventions. In particular I will focus on a pivotal clinical trial in my career; “Improving the Wellbeing of Opioid Treated Chronic pain (I-WOTCH)”.

Termed an opioid epidemic in the UK and Opioid Crisis in the USA, there is a desperate need for guidance and evidence-based interventions to tackle this global health problem. I am proud to be leading a behaviour change clinical trial to help people with long term pain reduce their opioid use and implement non-pharmacological self-management strategies.  

Most importantly, throughout the lecture I will share what have been my core drivers, values and inspiration in establishing myself as a Professor of Health Psychology and the support I have received along the way. 

Biography

Professor Sandhu is Professor of Health Psychology in Warwick Clinical Trials Unit. She joined Warwick Medical School in 2004 and has as had a variety of roles in the department. She has worked across a portfolio of research projects which have included national and international collaborations whilst establishing her own research and specialism in behaviour change and Health Psychology.  

She is chief investigator and co-investigator of several clinical trials funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). She is also currently leading the first UK clinical trial testing the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a multi-component intervention to help people with long term non cancer pain safely reduce their use of strong opioids, funded by the NIHR.  In 2020 she was awarded the iPain Hero of Hope award by The International Pain Foundation in recognition of her contribution to the pain community. 

Alongside her active research career, Professor Sandhu also has a leadership role in the delivery of Health Psychology teaching across the MB ChB and postgraduate programmes within the Medical School.

Professor Sandhu combines her academic role with a clinical role as a Practitioner Health Psychologist, providing therapeutic and behaviour change techniques to enhance wellbeing. Helping people to self-manage their pain and improve their quality of life clinically informs her research and the research informs her practice.