My background is in Public Health, Health Promotion and Health Services Research. My research interests include sexual health, digital health interventions at the interface with patients and the public (for health promotion and healthcare delivery), the development and evaluation of complex interventions, and the patient experience of long-term conditions.

I use a wide range of methods and methodological approaches in my research. I enjoy inter-disciplinary, collaborative and impactful research, particularly applied research with the community and voluntary sector, and NHS organisations. I'm experienced in co-ordinating multi-institutional research projects.

Current and recent projects include:

East Sussex County Council Research Collaboration Hub grant (2024-2025), including a project exploring the impact of creative activities on parents' wellbeing.

Brighton & Hove's Health Counts 2024 Survey. Co-led the design and set-up (before maternity leave) of this city-wide decennial survey, the data from which informs Public Health, NHS and wider service planning in the City.

Health Systems Analysis of Barriers and Readiness of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Services in COVID-19 affected areas. I'm a collaborator and researcher on this WHO-funded international study.

Systematic reviews of interactive digital interventions for sexual health promotion and HIV prevention (at UCL)

Completed projects (since joining the University of Brighton)

RISE (knowledge exchange) project with MyCareMatters CIC. Led desk-based and community stakeholder consultative work to refine and improve resources to support person-centred care for older people, and My Future Care booklet to support Advance Care Planning. Developed internal evaluation processes.

Partnerships in the pandemic, and Pilot Evaluation of the Paired app - with collaborators at the Open University, University of Bradford and University College London (see publications)

Living Well with Frailty Experiences (LiFE) Study (Co-designing person-centred frailty interventions with community-dwelling older people and health professionals), a collaboration between Brighton, De Montfort and Birmingham City universities - I co-ordinated this study, funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing.

Experiences of living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and receiving services in Sussex

An investigation of the use of simulated training to enhance clinical leadership skills within the residential care sector - funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing

Investigating ethnic inequalities in sexually transmitted infections (at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Blood-Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections - UCL & Public Health England)

I supervise postgraduate students who are working on mixed methods and qualitative research projects. I also supervise research placement students who are doing taught courses (BSc or MSc), and who learn about health research through getting involved with an ongoing study or analysing an existing dataset.

Due to existing supervisory commitments, I am not available to work with prospective postgraduate research (PhD, MD) students to develop research proposals at the moment. When I next have availability, I would be interested in supervising students in a wide range areas of Public Health and Health Promotion. I have particular interest in the following areas:

• sexual health (broadly conceived, i.e. may include sexual wellbeing as well as STIs/HIV or contraception);
• development and/or evaluation of complex interventions, e.g. health promotion interventions, digital health interventions;
• breastfeeding;
• e-health at the interface with patients and the public;
• the (patient) experience of living with long-term conditions, e.g. motor neurone disease, frailty.

Currently I teach research methods. Health research is the main part of my job at the university and it's my passion - so I bring this enthusiasm to my teaching. As well as explaining methodology and methods, I seek to de-mystify research and give students a feel for what it is like to put research methods into practice. In so doing I aim to build my students' confidence and enable them to do their own research in their dissertations, in research placements, and (for those who want to) after graduation. I aim to be responsive to learners' needs and motivations, and for this reason I particularly enjoy small group teaching and research supervision (PhD, MD or MSc). I have an Advance HE Fellowship (FHEA).