Who we are ?
We are a team at the University of Reading with a profound interest chronic illness within Health psychology
Research group leaders
Katherine
Katherine is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Chartered Health Psychologist with a special interest in developing psychological and/or behaviour change interventions to manage chronic health conditions. Katherine’s research work focuses on clinical populations living with long-term chronic health conditions, including chronic pain, spinal cord injury and recurrent urinary tract infection. Katherine is regularly employed in Health Psychology consultancy, including delivering training sessions on behaviour change and Motivational Interviewing in the public and private sectors.
Sarah
Katherine is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Chartered Health Psychologist with a special interest in developing psychological and/or behaviour change interventions to manage chronic health conditions. Katherine’s research work focuses on clinical populations living with long-term chronic health conditions, including chronic pain, spinal cord injury and recurrent urinary tract infection. Katherine is regularly employed in Health Psychology consultancy, including delivering training sessions on behaviour change and Motivational Interviewing in the public and private sectors.
PhD students
Abbi
Abbi is a PhD candidate focusing on the patient experience of living with recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI). Abbi has developed and validated the first patient-reported outcome measures designed to give voice to the patient perspective of rUTI symptoms and their impact on quality of life. She aims to reduce barriers to rUTI healthcare by developing novel patient-centred interventions. Originally joining the University of Reading in 2016 to undertake her undergraduate degree, Abbi has since completed her MSc studies here and currently works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant alongside her PhD programme.
Adam
Adam Madhani is a PhD candidate and Trainee Health Psychologist who began his journey at the University of Reading in 2024. He has a keen interest in chronic pain management and health behaviour change techniques. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the fields of psychology and medicine, Adam aims to create an innovative intervention to enhance knowledge, self-efficacy, and decision-making confidence for undergoing ‘awake surgeries’ (regional anaesthesia procedures). Adam is also working towards obtaining his Stage Two qualification as a Chartered Health Psychologist, with a goal to make meaningful contributions in the areas of behaviour change and anaesthesia.
Susie
Susie is a part-time PhD student and alongside her research she works as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with teenagers and adults. She holds an Msc in Health Psychology and Applied Psychology and previously worked for the Health Behaviour Research Centre at University College London. Her PhD focuses on Women’s Health with a particular interest is in female pain experiences during common gynaecological procedures. Her research has the aim of developing health interventions that will help reduce gender health disparities in particular within Gynaecology. Susie started her PhD in 2022 and enjoys spending time on campus and working from home.
ORCID:
Molly
Molly is a PhD candidate, specialising in women’s health and pelvic pain, with a particular focus on vaginismus. Molly hopes to develop psychoeducational interventions to improve the knowledge and attitudes towards vaginismus in medical students, while enhancing patient understanding and awareness of the condition. This is Molly’s first year at the University of Reading, and she is excited to conduct impactful research and contribute to the creation of educational resources that will enhance clinical training and improve patient care.
Meg
Meg Evans is a 1st year PhD candidate at the University of Reading, focusing on the sexual well-being of those suffering from chronic pain conditions. She aims to develop a novel intervention strategy targeting those who experience Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections to increase their sexual psychoeducation, self-compassion, and communication with partners by targeting the current barriers and facilitators surrounding this. She will work alongside Live UTI Free to develop this intervention strategy which will be provided to members of this organisation in the event of a successful feasibility study.
ORCID:
Melissa
Melissa is a PhD candidate focusing on digital recruitment methods for clinical trials and other research types, with a particular interest in female pelvic health. For half a decade, Melissa has been executing study recruitment campaigns for pharmaceutical companies, and academic and commercial research. She aims to provide a framework for successful digital recruitment strategies that utilise online influence marketing, social health networks and patient advocacy organisations. She is the founder and CEO of LUF, a patient research and advocacy organisation centred around women’s health.
Rebecca is a PhD student within PCLS, funded by the ESRC through the South and East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS) Doctoral Training Partnership. Rebecca joined PCLS in 2019. Her research explores maternal mental health during the transition to motherhood, with a focus on the experience, and implications of, unmet birth expectations. Rebecca is an active maternity rights campaigner and is also a Senior Lecturer in Education and Child Development at Oxford Brookes University, and an experienced primary school teacher. having taught and held curriculum development leadership positions across London and Essex.
ORCID:
Charley is a PhD candidate in her first year at the University of Reading. She is currently pursuing the Stage 2 Health Psychology qualification through the independent route. Charley’s research focuses on the wellbeing and quality of life of those living with Chronic Migraine. Charley is currently employed to deliver workshops for parents, providing guidance on navigating the challenges of parenting teenagers with mental health challenges.
ORCID:
Collaborative students
Issy is a 3rd year BSc psychology student at the University of Reading. She is currently doing her placement at LiveUTIFree. She has a passion for health psychology, in particular women’s health, which led her to discover the impactful work conducted by Live UTI Free. Issy hopes that working with Live UTI free will provide her with more insight into the field of women’s health research, and enable her to make an impact in this space.
OUR PARTNERS
