Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Alexandra is a mixed methods researcher with a background in Health Psychology. Her particular research interests and expertise lie in the areas of maternal and child health, and include preterm birth and its impact on families; parents' experiences of participating in neonatal trials; and maternal mental health. More recently her research has focused on evaluating interventions designed to reduce health inequalities.
Current Research Projects
- Best Practice in Occupational Health (Network Rail)
- Implementing Family Integrated Care in Zambia - University of Brighton Interdisciplinary Research Initiative
- Diabetes UK Community Champions Evaluation (North West Surrey CCG)
- WHO ProSPeRero: Project on Sexually Transmitted Infection Point-of-care Testin - Clinic based evaluation of SD BIOLINE HIV/Syphilis Duo (Alere) and DPP® HIV-Syphilis Assay (Chembio) for the screening of HIV and syphilis in men who have sex with men in in the STI screening facilities of Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom (UK)
Previous Research Projects
- Evaluation of Care Navigation as part of the Right Person First initiative (CANE - Care Navigation Evaluation).
- FuelPre (Fuel Poverty Reduction Evaluation). Evaluation of the NHS Hastings & Rother Clinical Commissioning Group Healthy Homes Programme
- A better understanding what makes for effective conversations about alcohol between parents & their 15-17 year olds. Drinkware.
- Evaluation of the Education, Training, Volunteering & Employment (ETVE) Project for People Living with HIV (PLWHIV)
- Older people living with HIV in residential care homes. Extension to the Education, Training, Volunteering & Employment (ETVE) project
Scholarly biography
Alexandra completed her PhD at the University of Sussex (2011), which was supervised by Professor Susan Ayers, exploring psychological adjustment after childbirth in the UK and The Gambia. Alexandra then worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Sussex and City University London on a NIHR funded programme of research looking at improving care during very preterm birth. During this role she managed a number of studies including a qualitative study exploring parents' experiences of care during very preterm birth, a questionnaire development study of a measure to explore parents' experiences of care during very preterm birth, and a qualitative study exploring women's and clinicians' experiences of consent during a neonatal trial.
Alexandra joined the School of Health Sciences, University of Brighton, as a Research Fellow in 2015.
Alexandra is also a Chartered Psychologist
Supervisory Interests
Current PhD students
- Arthur Gaillard - Production of knowledge in Sport for Development
- Diroshi Neththikumara Haththellage - Being a woman in Sri Lanka; a phenomenological approach
I am interested in supervising Masters and PhD students in all areas of health psychology, health promotion, and public health. Particular interests include:
- preterm birth and its impact on families;
- parents' experiences of participating in neonatal trials;
- sexual and reproductove health;
- maternal mental health.
Approach to teaching
I currently teach on the MSc Health Promotion module Principles of Health Promotion. I also supervise Masters student dissertations.
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, University of Sussex
Award Date: 30 Jun 2011
Master, University of Sussex
Award Date: 30 Sep 2007
Bachelor, University of Leicester
Award Date: 30 Jun 2006
Fingerprint
- 5 Similar Profiles
Network
Projects
-
COVID-19 STORIES: Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on local communities within East Sussex
Sherriff, N., Sawyer, A. & Thomas, J.
1/10/20 → 30/04/21
Project: Public Sector
-
Better understanding what makes effective conversations about alcohol between parents and their 15-17 year olds
Sherriff, N., Sawyer, A. & Coleman, L.
1/12/16 → 31/05/17
Project: Charities
Research Output
-
Occupational health and wellbeing initiatives: A brief overview of the evidence
Sawyer, A., Ola, A., Reeve, S. & Sherriff, N., 1 Sep 2020, 40 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
-
Parental communication about alcohol consumption
Sawyer, A., Sherriff, N. & Coleman, L., 2020, (Accepted/In press) The Handbook of the Psychology of Alcohol Consumption. Cooke, R. (ed.). Palgrave MacmillanResearch output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBN › Chapter
-
Parent–child conversations associated with alcohol-related risk behaviours in young people (13–17 years) in the UK: a cross-sectional study
Jones, A-M., Sawyer, A., Huber, J., Coleman, L., Dunne, N. & Sherriff, N., 17 Jun 2020, In : BMJ Open. 10, 6, e033171.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open AccessFile -
Standardised protocol for a prospective cross-sectional multicentre clinic-based evaluation of two dual point-of-care tests for the screening of HIV and syphilis in men who have sex with men, sex workers and pregnant women
World Health Organisation, 26 Nov 2020, In : BMJ Open. 10, 11, p. e044479 e044479.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open AccessFile -
Birth Complications
Sawyer, A. & Ayers, S., 31 Mar 2019, Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine. Llewellyn, C., Ayers, S., McManus, C., Newman, S., Petrie, K., Revenson, T. & Weinman, J. (eds.). 3rd ed. Cambridge University PressResearch output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBN › Chapter
Activities
-
External Clinical Psychology Doctorate Examination - Thesis
Alexandra Sawyer (Examiner)
2019Activity: External examination and supervision › Taught course
-
External PhD Examiner
Alexandra Sawyer (Examiner)
2018Activity: External examination and supervision › Research degree
-
PLoS ONE (Journal)
Alexandra Sawyer (Editor)
2018Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial work