I am Deputy Dean of Norwich Medical School, Chair in Clinical Psychology at the University of East Anglia and Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies (CPPT).

I am a highly experienced educationalist, clinical academic leader, clinical scientist and clinician. Before coming to UEA in 2018, I held NHS and clinical academic appointments in Scotland.  On gaining my clinical doctorate in 2001, I worked clinically with older adults in NHS community mental health, with adults in NHS primary care and was a Research Fellow on the CBT Sleep Clinic trial.  I then became a Clinical Lecturer at University of Glasgow, and joined the ClinPsyD programme team.

From 2008-2018, I was Consultant Lead for the largest NHS stroke clinical psychology service in the UK, hosted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.  In 2012 I was the first Consultant Clinical Psychologist to be awarded the prestigious NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Career Grade Clinical Fellowship.  Laterally, I became an NRS Senior Clinical Fellow and in 2017 was elected National Lead for Stroke Psychology in Scotland, representing the profession of clinical psychology on the National Advisory Committee, which coordinates implementation of the Stroke Improvement Plan with the Scottish government.

Qualifications and Memberships

I am a registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council UK (PYL02740), a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a member of the BPS Divisions of Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology.

I hold a First-Class Honours Degree in Psychology from University of Strathclyde, a PhD in Psychology from University of Sheffield and a Practitioner Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from University of Glasgow.

My principal research interests are: [i] the neuropsychological (mood and cognition) consequences of stroke, modelling and treating post-stroke emotionalism and improving understanding of psychological adjustment to stroke, and [ii] behavioural sleep medicine, determining putative mechanisms of cognitive behavioural therapeutics for insomnia disorder. 

I have attracted externally funded grant income of over £7 million (>£2 million as CI) and published over 60 peer reviewed articles.  

I retain a clear, ambitious yet sustainable plan and clinical academic agenda focused on helping lead and run Norwich Medical School, directing CPPT to deliver high quality clinical research and post-graduate psychological programmes to expand the regional NHS workforce and building my own portfolio of NHS based translational research in stroke and behavioural sleep medicine.  I am currently Chief Investigator on the NIHR HTA funded EASE clinical trial (Evaluating Antidepressants for Emotionalism after Stroke), Co-Investigator on the NIHR RfPB funded AISCS study (Improving anxiety assessment in stroke and acquired brain injury) and I co-founded SINEA: Sleep and Insomnia Network East Anglia with colleagues at UEA.

I have a sustained record of effective postgraduate doctoral research supervision (over 20 ClinPsyD, PhD projects overseen to successful completion) and I continue to support and mentor amazing colleagues across the School.