Ellen Lowry

Ellen Lowry

Dr

  • 0.20 Lawrence Stenhouse Building

  • Source: Scopus
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Personal profile

Key Responsibilities

  • MBBS, Year 3 Consultation Skills Lead 
  • MBBS Gateway Year, Psychosocial Aspects of Health Module Lead 

Administrative Posts

  • Norwich Medical School SEESAW-Athena Swan Committee member
  • Women's Reproductive Health Committee member

External Activities

Member of the UK Council for Clinical Communication (UKCCC) https://www.ukccc.org.uk/

Biography

Ellen embarked on a career change in 2013, undertaking a BSc in Psychology (part-time) at Birkbeck University of London, gaining 1st class honors in 2017. She was subsequently awarded The Difference Scholarship at the University of East Anglia to undertake an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience, gaining a distinction. Ellen was then awarded a School of Psychology Ph.D. studentship to undertake her research examining the Cognitive and Neuroimaging markers for vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Her research had a particular interest in the way people navigate at the clinical stages of VCI, and also examined preclinical markers for those at high cardiovascular risk in midlife. 

Ellen has a particular interest in neuropsychology and during her studies has worked on a number of research projects as well as gaining applied clinical experience working for the memory service at East London Foundation Trust as a Dementia Adviser, and later for MIND as a Mental Health Recovery worker. From 2018, Ellen was an Associate Tutor at the School of Psychology teaching undergraduate students, and in 2021 started teaching at Norwich Medical School, leading the Psychology theme of the MBBS Gateway Year Psychosocial Aspects of Health module. In 2022, Ellen was appointed as a Lecturer in Medical Education at Norwich Medical School. Primarily leading year 3 Consultation Skills on the MBBS programme, as well as teaching year 1 Health Psychology, and Module Lead for the Psychosocial Aspects of Health, MBBS Gateway Year.

Prior to and alongside her early academic endeavours, Ellen had a short but varied career. After joining the financial industry in 2009, she was selected to complete a fast-track leadership excellence award. Following this, she had a number of leadership roles in Banking Operations and later in Policy and Standards, with a specific emphasis on developing people, strategy, and change management. Leaving the industry in 2016 to pursue her interest in psychology.

Teaching Interests

Ellen’s primary discipline is psychology and has a keen interest in the study of human behaviour. Her specialism is cognitive neuroscience and is focused on the early identification of dementia, cardiovascular risk factors that contribute towards this, and the impact these have on cognition and structural brain changes. As well as the functional and symptomatic changes experienced by patients. 

Ellen is Consultation Skills Lead for year 3 of the MBBS and lectures in clinical communication with a focus on Shared Decision Making, Health Promotion, Behavioural Change, and Motivational Interviewing. She facilitates small group teaching across years 1-5 of the MBBS Consultation Skills. As well as 1-2-1 support clinics for students.

As Module Lead for the Psychosocial Aspects of Health on the MBBS Gateway year, Ellen is involved in developing the curriculum to reflect Biopsychosocial interactions in medicine. Including the delivery of lectures and workshops exploring; An Introduction to Health Psychology, Models of Health Psychology, Social Determinates of Health, Dementia, and Addiction.

Ellen is experienced in teaching undergraduate psychology students across a range of topics including lecturing for the modules; Psychology of the Individual (1st year), Biological Psychology (2nd year), Applied Neuropsychology (3rd year), and Brain and Cognition (3rd year). As well as facilitating smaller group seminars on Assessment and Study Skills, Writing Research Reports, and examining clinical case studies.

Areas of Expertise

  • Neuropsychology 
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Health Psychology
  • Clinical Communication

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, University of East Anglia

1 Oct 201830 Aug 2022

Award Date: 22 Nov 2022

Master in Science, University of East Anglia

Award Date: 31 Aug 2018

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Birkbeck University of London

Award Date: 30 Jun 2017

Keywords

  • Psychology
  • Neuropsychology
  • Dementia
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Cognition
  • Ageing
  • Clinical Communication

Network

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