I am a Chartered Psychologist with a PG qualification in Health Psychology, and a fellow of NIH TIDIRC (Training Institute in Dissemination and Implementation in Cancer) programme. I am interested in the design, adaptation, evaluation and implementation of psychosocial interventions for people with long-term conditions, in particular among older people and those with sensory or cognitive impairments. I am committed to furthering the implementation of effective and valued services, particularly within the community and voluntary health sector through the application of Implementation Science.

Noleen’s research focuses on the design, adaptation and evaluation of psychosocial interventions for older people with long-term conditions. Currently she is leading research projects:

• To develop an ACT-based carer-facilitated intervention for stroke survivors living with significant cognitive impairment, funded by NI Chest Heart and Stroke, and in collaboration with health service colleagues in Belfast HSC Trust.
• To develop an intervention to promote walking among people living with visual impairment, funded by MRC PHIND, and in collaboration with Guide Dogs.
• To evaluate, using realist evaluation methods, how befriending interventions work and to assess the use of remote modes of service provision. This work is funded by ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.

Social Model for Health & Wellbeing in Primary and Community Care

I am course co-ordinator for the PG short course in Social Model for Health & Wellbeing in Primary and Community Care (SCM7057). The course has been developed as a collaboration between the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences and Graduate School at QUB, and the GP Federations. Students learn about the Social Model of Health and the influence of social, cultural, political, economic and environmental influences on population health and wellbeing, health inequalities and inequities. Learners discuss health systems and health policy, and the implications of the Social Model as a driver for change in health and social care, including primary and community-based services such as Social Prescribing.

Psychology / Behavioural Science in Undergraduate Medicine

I lead on the integration of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences within the undergraduate medical programme at QUB, including the integration of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences in Case-Based Learning scenarios, lectures and tutorials within MED1028 (Foundations for Practice 1) and MED2022 (Foundations for Practice 2).

Public Health Methods and Determinants

I contribute to the Masters in Public Health, hosted by Centre for Public Health, specifically sessions on survey design, questionnaire design and validation on SCM8165 (Public Health Concepts & Methods), Health Behaviour Change on SCM8168 (Determinants of Health and Health Improvement), and sessions on 'Data Collection Methods' and 'Sampling and Recruitment/Selection' on SCM8183/SCM8174 (Intensive Qualitative Methods).