Members of the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR)

• Body image
• Media effects
• Positive body image
• Sport and physical activity

Professor Phillippa Diedrichs
Professor of Psychology

• Body image
• Influence of the mass media and advertising on body image
• School interventions to promote positive body image
• Health psychology

Professor Diana Harcourt
Professor of Appearance Psychology

• Psychosocial impact of visible difference, in particular changes to appearance as a result of cancer treatment
• Women’s experiences of breast reconstruction following mastectomy
• Psychosocial impact of changes to appearance due to chemotherapy on breast cancer
• Adolescent cancer patients’ experiences of changes to appearance

Christine Ramsey-Wade
Associate Professor of Counselling Psychology

• Cognitive-behavioural therapies
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction
• Creative and expressive therapies

Dr Nicola Stock
Associate Professor

• The psychological and social impact of appearance-altering conditions
• Psychological support for individuals born with craniofacial conditions and their families.

Dr Nadia Craddock
Senior Research Fellow

• Big business and body image
• Colourism and skin tone ideals

Dr Kirsty Garbett
Research Fellow

• Body image interventions
• Cosmetic procedures
• Health psychology

Dr Ella Guest
Senior Research Fellow

• Health psychology; visible difference
• The psychosocial impact of living with a burn injury
• Breast reconstruction

Sharon Haywood
Research Associate

• Body image
• Body image interventions
• Weight stigma

Dr Abbie Jones
Research Fellow

• Health psychology
• Chronic health conditions
• Women’s health
• Adolescents

Dr Helena Lewis-Smith
Associate Professor of Appearance Psychology

• Body image; particularly among women with breast cancer and within the general population
• Development of psychosocial interventions to improve body image
• Health psychology

• Visible difference
• Low intensity psychological interventions
• Peer support

Dr Tim Moss
Associate Professor of Health Psychology

• Adjustment to disfigurement
• Health behaviour change
• Measurement of appearance adjustment

Dr Nicole Paraskeva
Senior Research Fellow

• Body image interventions
• Plastic, aesthetic and reconstructive surgery
• Health psychology

Dr Kat Schneider
Research Fellow

• Body image
• Exercise psychology
• Psychological well-being

Harriet Smith
Research Associate

• Positive body image
• Intervention development
• Health psychology and the role of body image in chronic health conditions.

Dr Maia Thornton
Research Fellow

• Visible difference
• Support for families
• Intervention development

Dr Pippa Tollow
Senior Research Fellow

• Patient experiences of treatment
• Clinician-patient communication
• Health psychology

Dr Emma Waite
Research Associate

• Visible difference
• Health psychology
• Gender and sexuality

Dr Fabio Zucchelli
Senior Lecturer

• Mindfulness-based interventions (including Acceptance Commitment Therapy)
• Visible difference
• Male body image
• Social psychology

Professor Emerita Nichola Rumsey

• Psychological aspects of cosmetic procedures
• Development of training in the psychological care of people with appearance concerns
• Social reintegration of people following appearance-altering trauma

Rosie Thomas

• Research Administrator

Abolanle Adesope

The role of modesty and gender specific spaces in physical activity participation and mental health outcomes of Muslim women in the UK.

Clare Clement

Creating a tool to identify support needs and resources for adults with visible differences.

Mehak Gandhi

Exploring which structures facilitate effective, psychologically safe, equitable, and inclusive peer support for individuals affected by alopecia areata.

Abbi Matthews

Using social media to reduce visible difference stigma and increase acceptance of appearance diversity.

Bandna Rekhi

Developing an assessment framework for psychological conditions impacting hair restoration surgery outcomes.

Sally Smith

Medical traumatic stress in individuals with congenital craniofacial conditions.

Emmanuel Toni

Developing a social media intervention to increase awareness and understanding of psoriasis.

Dr Laura Armstrong-James

Professor Diana Harcourt, Professor Nichola Rumsey, Dr Heidi Williamson, Dr Julia Cadogan

Dr Jenny Barke

Young people’s experiences of neurofibromatosis type 1.

Professor Diana Harcourt

Dr Alyson Bessell

Facing up to visible difference: The design and evaluation of a new computer-based psychosocial intervention.

Dr Tim Moss, Professor Nichola Rumsey, Professor Diana Harcourt

Dr Heather Brant

Psychosocial and ethical issues around visible difference associated with genetic conditions.

Professor Diana Harcourt

Dr Nadia Craddock

Using strategic science to explore ways to foster positive body image through the lens of corporate social responsibility: A mixed methods investigation.

Professor Phillippa Diedrichs, Dr Emma Halliwell, Dr Fiona Spotswood, Meaghan Ramsey

Psychosocial impact of Epidermylosis Bullosa (EB).

Professor Nichola Rumsey, Marianna Morris, Dr Kate Gleeson

Dr Fiona Fox

An exploration of online peer support for young people with chronic skin conditions.

Marianne Morris, Professor Nichola Rumsey

Dr Caterina Gentili

The impact of androgen deprivation therapy on men diagnosed with prostate cancer: A mixed-method analysis of body image, masculine identities, exercise habits and coping strategies.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Dr Stuart McLean, Dr Lucy McGeagh, Professor Amit Bahl, Professor Raj Persad

Dr Nikki Hayfield

Bisexual women’s visual identities: A feminist mixed-methods exploration.

Dr Victoria Clarke, Dr Emma Halliwell, Professor Nichola Rumsey, Dr Helen Malson

Dr Jennifer Heath

Peer-informed support for parents of of burn injured children.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Dr Heidi Williamson, Lisa Williams

Dr Beth Herring

Exploring the psychosocial impact and support needs of men with breast cancer from the perspectives of patients, informal carers and healthcare professionals.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Dr Nicole Paraskeva, Dr Helena Lewis-Smith and Associate Professor Emma Halliwell

Dr Christia Huntington

Online support for people affected by burn injuries.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Dr Pippa Tollow, Dr Toity Deave, Dr Catrin Griffiths

Dr Caroline Huxley

An exploration of the sociocultural influences affecting lesbian and bisexual women’s body image.

Dr Emma Halliwell, Dr Victoria Clarke, Professor Nichola Rumsey

Dr Sue Jackson

The psychosocial importance of eyes and the impact of strabismus on adults.

Professor Nichola Rumsey, Marianne Morris, Richard Harrad

Dr Fiona Kennedy

The psychosocial impact and perception of ductal carcinoma in situ.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Professor Nichola Rumsey

Dr Helena Lewis-Smith

Body image in midlife: Developing a psychosocial intervention for women who have received treatment for breast cancer.            

Professor Diana Harcourt, Professor Nichola Rumsey, Professor Phillippa Diedrichs

Dr Emily Lovegrove

Adolescents, appearance and anti-bullying strategies

Professor Nichola Rumsey, Keith Postlethwaite

Sabrina Meechem

Understanding how social networking sites influence adolescent body image, wellbeing, and psychosocial functioning.

Dr Amy Slater, Dr Emma Halliwell, Dr Issy Bray, Dr Yvette Morey

Kieran Moulton

Exploring the psychosocial motivations and experiences of individuals who undergo decorative tattooing as a method of scar camouflage and/or decoration in the UK.

Dr Jade Parnell

Promoting acceptance of diverse appearances in primary school-age children.

Dr Amy Slater, Dr Heidi Williamson, Dr Fay Lewis

Dr Geeta Patel

The psychosocial impact of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Black and South Asian women.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Professor Nichola Rumsey, Habib Naqvi

Dr Melissa Pilkington

Psychosocial interventions to support breast cancer patients affected by treatment-related hair loss.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Professor Nichola Rumsey

Dr Matthew Ridley

Factors contributing towards psychological resilience in individuals with and without cleft lip and or/palate.

Professor Nichola Rumsey, Dr Amy Slater

Dr Ben Rosser

Cognitive information processing biases and appearance adjustment: The role of the appearance self-schema

Dr Tim Moss, Professor Nichola Rumsey

Dr Nick Sharratt

The impact of appearance concerns on intimacy in people with disfigurement

Professor Nichola Rumsey, Dr Tim Moss, Dr Elizabeth Jenkinson

Dr Irmgard Tischner

A critical psychological investigation of obesity

Dr Helen Malson, Dr Emma Halliwell, Professor Nichola Rumsey

Dr Maia Thornton

Developing psychosocial support for parents and carers of children and young people with an appearance-affecting condition or injury.

Dr Heidi Williamson, Prof Diana Harcourt, Dr Toity Deave, Dr James Kiff

Dr Daisy Townsend

Exploring the role of cognitive, physical and social variables between body image and appearance concerns and physical activity participation

Dr James Byron Daniel, Dr Emma Halliwell, Professor Diana Harcourt

Dr Emma Waite

A qualitative exploration of the lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ young people with visible differences.

Dr Elizabeth Jenkinson, Dr Ella Guest, Dr Victoria Clarke

Dr Melissa Wallace

The psychosocial impact of conditions altering appearance during adolescence.

Professor Diana Harcourt, Professor Nichola Rumsey

Dr Morgan Zolkwer

Investigating parent and paediatric patient adjustment to congenital melanocytic nevi and arteriovenous malformations.

Dr Ella Guest, Dr Amy Slater, and Professor Veronica Kinsler and Dr Maanasa Polubothu (UCL)

Dr Jessica Alleva 
Maastricht University, the Netherlands

CAR Honorary Research Fellow

Dr Julia Cadogan 
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

CAR Honorary Research Fellow

Dr Alex Clarke

UWE Bristol Doctor of Science

Professor Martin Persson 
Kristianstad University, Sweden

CAR Honorary Research Fellow

Dr Rosanna Preston

UWE Bristol Doctor of Science

Dr James Partridge

UWE Bristol Doctor of Science