Professor Lucy Yardley

I have a longstanding interest in how best to empower patients and people in the community to take control over their illness and treatment. I am addressing this question through the development and evaluation of numerous digital interventions for members of the public and health professionals, including interventions to support weight management, physical activity, reduction of infection transmission and antibiotic over-use, and self-management of numerous long-term health conditions (including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, back pain, asthma, cognitive decline and many other health problems). After carrying out large clinical trials of these interventions showing they are cost-effective (published in Lancet, BMJ and similar journals) they are made available nationally and internationally through partnerships with the public, third and private sector. Through this work I have pioneered the 'Person-Based Approach' (see www.personbasedapproach.org) which combines in-depth mixed methods research with co-design and behavioural analysis to develop and optimise accessible and effective healthcare solutions. In total, I have over 500 publications (Google Scholar), resulting in over 30,000 citations and an h index of 80.  I have been chief investigator on grants totalling over £10 million and principal or co-investigator on grants totalling well over £75 million (funding bodies include NIHR, MRC, ESRC, EPSRC, EC and medical charities).

I am a NIHR Senior Investigator and my roles at University of Bristol include behavioural theme lead for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration-West and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit and co-Director (Research) for the Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health and Care. I have a continuing role at University of Southampton as Director of the LifeGuide Research Programme and the Behavioural Science theme of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. Previous roles have included Editor-in-Chief of Psychology & Health (journal of the European Society for Health Psychology), core or expert topic member of NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) panels in public health, behaviour change (technology) and antimicrobial stewardship, and member of research funding panels for NIHR, MRC and medical charities.