Meet the team
We are researchers based at University of Hertfordshire
PHAB Lab research team
Professor Katie Newby
Professor in Health Behaviour Change
Professor Katherine Brown
Professor of Behaviour Change in Health
Dr Neil Howlett
Reader in Behaviour Change and Public Health
Dr Stef Williams
Senior Research Fellow
Nigel Lloyd
Senior Research Fellow
Kayleigh Kwah
Research Fellow
Lauren Schumacher
Research Fellow
Laura Lamming
Research Fellow
Imogen Freethy
Senior Research Assistant
Isobel Simmons
Research Assistant
PHAB Lab PhD students
Hannah Allcott-Watson
Title: Development and evaluation of an evidence-based behaviour change programme for young people focusing on physical activity, healthy eating and wellbeing
Dates: December 2019 to November 2023
Summary: Partnering with the charity HENRY, this PhD aims to develop a new programme for teenagers to support them to engage in healthy behaviours that tend to decline over the adolescent years.
Supervised by: Dr Neil Howlett, Professor Angel Chater (University of Bedfordshire), Dr Nick Troop and Dr Katie Newby.
Susan Gibson
Title: Contributing to an International Collaboratory of Centres for Understanding Behaviour Change (CUBiC): How Can the Use of Graded Tasks be Optimised to Promote Physical Activity
Dates: February 2022 to February 2026
Summary: This 3-stage project includes
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of current evidence
- A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews exploring how people are currently using graded tasks to increase levels of physical activity
- A pilot study informed by the first two stages
Supervised by: Dr Neil Howlett, Dr Katie Newby, Professor Katherine Brown, Dr Tracy Epton (University of Manchester) and Professor Chris Armitage (University of Manchester).
Kayleigh Kwah
Title: Developing the scientific understanding of barriers to breastfeeding and the application of behaviour change theoretical frameworks to optimise the impact on infant feeding behaviours
Dates: September 2023 to September 2025
Summary: To understand the barriers to breastfeeding using the COM B model and translate these to operationalised evidence-based techniques by applying behaviour change theoretical frameworks to the development of infant feeding interventions that compliment infant feeding support in the UK
Supervised by: Professor Katherine Brown, Dr Katie Newby.
Lauren Schumacher
Title: Optimizing Young People’s Engagement with Digital Health Behaviour Change Research
Dates: September 2023 to September 2025
Summary: This PhD aims to understand the factors involved in optimising young people’s engagement in digital health behaviour change interventions and research. This original work will address important, known challenges and will seek to offer processes and solutions that can be replicated by other researchers to optimise engagement.
Supervised by: Dr Katie Newby, Professor Katherine Brown.
Mini Weerakoon
Title: Exploring Perceived Benefits of Smoking, Health Promoting Alternatives, and personalised Interventions: A Repertory Grid Analysis in Health Psychology
Dates: February 2024 to February 2026
Summary: a multi-faceted approach, comprising a systematic review, open-ended surveys, and innovative repertory grid analysis aiming to delve into the often-overlooked realm of why individuals perceive smoking to be beneficial and how these perceptions can be leveraged to facilitate successful smoking cessation.
Supervised by: Professor Katherine Brown, Professor David Winter.