I am a Reader in Health Psychology in the School of Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). 

I graduated from QUB with a BSc Psychology (hons) in 2010, and then a PhD in health psychology in 2018 which examined psychological adjustment in oesophageal cancer survivors and carers. I worked as the Research Lead at Marie Curie Hospice Belfast from 2015-2018. I then joined the School of Psychology at QUB as a Lecturer in September 2018, and was promoted to Reader in August 2024.

My research interests are broadly in the assessment and management of psychological wellbeing and quality of life in chronic conditions, where I have published >45 articles in peer-reviewed journals. I largely work in the area of psycho-oncology and palliative and end-of-life care, in addition to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. 

In particular I am interested in-

• Supporting psychological adjustment and quality of life through intervention development (e.g. music therapy, mindfulness, ACT) 
• Validation and implementation of outcome measures, particularly quality of life measures and psychological distress screening tools, and development of core outcome sets
• New public health approaches and social models of care (e.g. death literacy, compassionate communities, loneliness)

Examples of current/recent research projects include;

• I led on a Music Therapy Charity funded project called MusiCARER, with my colleague Dr Tracey McConnell (QUB). This 18-month project (2021-2022) aimed to develop the evidence base for music therapy as a pre- or post-bereavement support intervention
• I led on a British Scoliosis Research Foundation funded project called SPINE-COS-AYA, with my colleague Dr Paul Toner (QUB). This was a 15-month project (2021-2022) which aimed to complete the first stage towards developing a person-centred core outcome set for adolescents and young adults with idiopathic adolescent scoliosis undergoing treatment
• I was a co-investigator on a DfE GCRF funded project Developing sustainable interdisciplinary partnerships to address cancer prevention, survivorship and end of life care in Colombia
• I am co-investigator on a NI Pancreatic Cancer charity funded project 'Co-Design of a Digital Serious Game to Promote Public Awareness about Pancreatic Cancer'

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and teach on several postgraduate degree pathways in the School of Psychology; the MSc Psychological Science (conversion) and the MSc Clinical Health Psychology (see below). 

• PSY7092 Applications of Psychology in the 'Real World'
• PSY7116 Applied Research Skills (module co-ordinator)
• PSY7101 Psycho-oncology; Living with and Beyond a Cancer Diagnosis (module co-ordinator)

I also supervise PhD students,  DClinPsych trainees, DECAP trainees and MSc student dissertations. I have supervised 8 doctoral students to completion: Dr Cara Ghiglieri, Dr William McGhee, Dr Rebecca Hill, Dr Sally McFadden, Dr Aine Sutton, Dr Lily Chuah, Dr Rachel McAllistair, and Dr Anna Muir-Little. I currently supervise 7 doctoral students; Lydia McKeown, Stephanie Crawford, Rita Seery, Cormac Begley, Tara Anderson, Ohoud Jaloud S Al Jaloud and Caitlin McShane .

External Roles

• Honorary Research Fellow, School of Medicine, Cardiff University
• Committee member of the Palliative Care Research Forum Northern Ireland (PCRFNI)
• Committee member of the Northern Ireland Division of Health Psychology (DHPNI)
• Member of the All Ireland Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) Palliative Care Research Network (PCRN)
• Member of the EAPC Public Health Palliative Care Reference Group
• Member of the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Advanced Illness Network (MAIN)
• Member of the AIIHPC Psychological, Social and Spiritual Care research Special Interest Group
• Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol)
• Full Member of British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology
• Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Internal QUB Role

• QUB Psychology Athena SWAN Champion
• Psychology representative on QUB PPI Network
• QUB Psychology Open Science Working Group member
• QUB Psychology EDI Committee member
• QUB Psychology Qualitative Research Network member