Eleanor BradleyProfessor Eleanor Bradley

Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange, Worcester University

College Directors - College of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences, Worcester University

Health Psychology Academic Group Lead, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

I joined the University of Worcester in 2013 as a Professor of Health Psychology.  I am currently the College Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange for the College of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences.  In this role I work closely with staff across the Schools of Science and Environment; Allied Health and Community; and Three Counties Nursing and Midwifery. I am also the Health Psychology Academic Group Lead at the Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

My background is Health Psychology and I am involved in research which looks at the experiences of those living with long-term conditions (including adult mental ill-health).  I work closely with postgraduate research students and supervisors, notably our MPhil/PhD students, as an active doctoral supervisor but also as Chair of the Research Degrees Board.

Email: e.bradley@worc.ac.uk

Research Interests

Eleanor has research interests which focus on the application of health psychology to different healthcare settings and patient experiences.  Eleanor is currently working on research in the following areas:

  • Mental health nurse and pharmacist prescribing: how are nurses and pharmacists working with mental health service users and family carers to make prescribing decisions and to consider treatment adherence.
  • Patient confidentiality in adult mental healthcare: application and understanding amongst mental health nursing students.
  • Living with severe allergy: the psychological consequences following anaphylaxis in adults

Eleanor is an expert in qualitative research and has a particular interest in grounded theory and meta-synthesis.  She currently co-chairs a qualitative research special interest forum with Dr Theresa Mitchell, designed to encourage the use of rigorous, innovative qualitative methodologies amongst academics and our postgraduate research students.

She is involved in supervising a wide range of PhD students from across different disciplines.  Topic areas include: Music and dementia (Ruby Swift); Shared decision making and rheumatoid arthritis (Frances Chilton); Illness perceptions and mood disorders (Kim Caldwell); Perinatal mental health (Jo Johnson); Physical activity and bipolar disorder (Gemma McCullough); A critical exploration of staff experiences following a student suicide (Hilary Causer); Sexuality and conversion therapy in the Caribbean (Jimmy Couzens); Formation of a professional identity amongst student nurses (Theresa Pengally); Resilience amongst senior healthcare leaders (Adam Turner).

 

PhD Project Ideas

Eleanor works closely with NHS partners to encourage research and scholarship within healthcare settings.  She has been involved in a number of successful inter-disciplinary research and evaluation bids to look at innovations in healthcare, most recently an evaluation of the impact of a talent management initiative (funded by NHS Leadership Academy England, completed in March 2019).

 

Teaching Interests

Eleanor has taught on a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, across psychology and allied health.  She supervises undergraduate psychology students in their final year projects across a range of topics, with a particular focus on health and mental health.

Eleanor has particular expertise in relation to postgraduate teaching, supervision and support.  She is actively engaged with the Research Degrees Programme and contributes to the RTP modules and workshops for MRes and MPhil/PhD students.  Examples of sessions include ‘Meta-Synthesis’; ‘Philosophy of Research’; ‘Conducting Difficult Interviews’.  Eleanor has been involved in a range of curriculum developments associated with postgraduate research, including professional doctorates and PhD by published work.  She is currently the Chair of the Research Degrees Board.

Eleanor is an active doctoral supervisor and is working with students across a range of innovative research projects spanning from music and dementia; illness perceptions and bipolar disorder; perinatal mental health; shared decision making and rheumatoid arthritis.  If you are interested in studying for a PhD at the University of Worcester, please contact Eleanor for further information about her topics of interest.

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