Director of Development and Innovation

The School of Psychology has a Psychology placement year programme and summer internships. Please get in touch if you are interested in taking up a placement or internship opportunity with our psychology students. 

We have international psychology, neuroscience and research design and analysis expertise. We collaborate with external partners in research and consultancy. Please get in touch to find out more.

Laura is an Associate Professor in Social Science Research and Psychology in the School of Psychology and the Director of Development and Innovation for the School of Psychology. Laura is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Dr Laura Biggart has a first class degree in BSc (Hons) Psychosocial Sciences and PhD. Laura's research focuses on wellbeing in applied settings.

Laura was Principal Investigator on a three-year (2012-2015) ESRC-funded Future Research Leader project examining emotional intelligence in social work. From this project Laura' research team develped a workplace team resilience model called Secure Base Teams. The research team has since been exploring the impact of embedding the Team as Secure Base model with workplaces - https://www.uea.ac.uk/providingasecurebase/secure-base-in-teams

In 2017-18, Laura, with colleague Dr Kamena Henshaw and UEA students, developed the OpenUp UEA student support app to help the transition to university. https://www.uea.ac.uk/psychology/openup-uea

I returned to higher education as a mature student having worked in local government and the charity sector for a number of years. From my experience and through research, I have learned that the mix of ‘real world’ experience and learning is a powerful one for gaining insight into how people feel, think and behave. I enjoy taking an applied approach to psychology at UEA and enjoy the collaborative opportunities here to work with other disciplines. I am keen to make students aware of the links between theory and practice and develop their research skills to enhance their employability.

Laura’s research focuses on emotional intelligence (trait and ability models), emotional resilience and wellbeing in applied settings, team resilience, work-life balance and mental health. Laura is a member of The Centre for Research on the Child and Family.

Laura was Principal Investigator on a three year (2012-2015) ESRC-funded Future Research Leader project examining emotional intelligence in social work. For more information go to: Secure Base Teams

Indicative Publications

Biggart, L., Cook, L. & Carder, S., (2022), Team as a Secure Base Model in Online and Hybrid Spaces. Devon: Research in Practice. https://practice-supervisors.rip.org.uk/assets/team-as-a-secure-base-in-online-and-hybrid-spaces/

Cook, L. L., Zschomler, D., Biggart, L. & Carder, S., (2020). The team as a secure base revisited: Remote working and resilience among child and family social workers during COVID-19. Journal of Children's Services. 15, 4, p. 259-266. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-07-2020-0031

Biggart, L., Ward, E., Cook, L., Schofield, G. (2017), The team as a secure base: Promoting resilience and competence in child and family social work. Children and Youth Services Review, 83 (Supplement C),119-130. doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.031

Biggart, L., Ward, E., Cook, L., Stride, C., Schofield, G., Corr, P., Fletcher, C., Bowler, J., Jordan, P., Bailey, S. (2016). Emotional Intelligence and Burnout in Child and Family Social Work: Implications for policy and practice: Research Briefing. Norwich: Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of East Anglia.

Schofield, G., Ward, E., Biggart, L., Scaife, V., Dodsworth, J., Larsson, B., Haynes, A., & Stone, N. (2014). Looked After Children and Offending: Reducing Risk and Promoting Resilience. London: BAAF

Biggart, L., Corr, P., O’Brien, M., & Cooper, N. (2010). Trait emotional work and work-family conflict in fathers. Personality and Individual Differences, Vol 48, Issue 8, 911-916.

BSc Psychology

Year 1 - Applying psychology to the real world

Year 2 - Psychology of the Workplace, Analysing and assessing Individual Differences

Year 3 - Research project