Rebecca Nowland

Biography

I joined Keele University as a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in August 2026. Prior to that I was a Senior Research Fellow at University of Lancashire since 2018 and in that period served as Co-Lead of the THRIVE Research Centre. I have a BSc and PhD from University of Lancashire, as well as a PGCE from the University of Bolton. I have held lectureships at University of Manchester and University of Bolton, where I was Programme lead for MSc Psychology Pathways. While working at the University of Bolton I developed, designed and write the modules, designing lectures and teaching resources and activities for the MSc Social Neuroscience, which was the first of its kind developed in the UK. The programme is still running successfully at University of Bolton.

I am a Chartered Teaching and Research Psychologist (CPsychol) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Professional Bodies
British Psychological Society, Higher Education Academy

Research and scholarship

I am a social/developmental psychologist and have research interests around interpersonal relationships, social cognition, loneliness and social isolation, parental and family wellbeing. My research is highly interdisciplinary and I work with research colleagues in social work and social policy and nursing.

I believe that positive interpersonal relationships are key for both physical and mental health and wellbeing, as such my work centres around the promotion of relational health and wellbeing. For the past few years my research work has focused on loneliness, particularly in relation to child and adolescent loneliness, parental loneliness and digital technology use and loneliness. I have also undertaken research relating to conceptualisations of relational practice in Health, Social Care/Work, Criminal Justice and Education. I have been involved in and have lead wide variety of evaluations of therapeutic psychosocial interventions for children, adolescents and parents provided by public sector, third sector and local charities.

I use a variety of research methodologies, including quantitative (e.g. experimental, large scale survey data collection, longitudinal designs), qualitative and mixed methods approaches. Most recently I have been working with colleagues in Centre for Children and Youth Participation at University of Lancashire to develop youth participatory research methodologies, particularly in relation to co-production of evaluation of services for youth and the co-design of quantitative measures.

Teaching

• Module Team Member PSY-40181 Theory and Application in Child Psychology
• Module Team Member PSY-20058 Child Psychology in Practice

Supervision

Postgraduate Research Supervision

I have been involved in postgraduate supervision since the beginning of my career in the areas of social, developmental and health psychology. I supervise in the areas social psychology, health psychology, using quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods methodologies.

I have a number of PhD completions around the areas of social neuroscience of social decision making, mental health and wellbeing in women, parents, children and adolescents and the experience of loneliness.

I am open to new supervisions in the broad areas social and developmental psychology, particularly in relation to perinatal and parenting mental health and wellbeing, interpersonal relationships and relational health and wellbeing, including loneliness and social isolation and relational practice and social cognition. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss any of these areas further.

Collaborations and grants awards

Bids awarded as PI

• Jan 2024 – June 2024: Addressing mental health needs of adolescent parents: A participatory approach, NIHR North West Coast ARC ECR Fellowship, ~£15K
• March 2024-March 2025: Conceptualising Relational Practice in Systems and Organisations (Hybrid E-Delphi Study), Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation, ~£50K
• Jan 2022 – Jan 2023: Evaluation of the implementation of Parent-Led CBT for child mental health, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Mental Health Implementation Network ~£79K
• Feb 2022 – July 2022: Supporting Parents in Research in the THRIVE Centre (SPIRIT), Enhancing Research Culture Fund, ~£10K
• Jan 2020 – July 2022: Parenting Expectations: Exploring the Experiences of Parents and Stakeholders (PEEPS), LIFE Institute (UCLan), ~£15K
• Jan 2020 – July 2020: Digital solutions for PArental Loneliness (Digital-PAL), Research Centre For Digital Life (UCLan), ~£2K

Selected bids as CI

• Jan 2022 – Dec 2022: Co-development and evaluation of perinatal education resources (IAPT), NHS England/NHS Improvements, ~£44K
• Jan 2022 – Dec 2022: Co-development and evaluation of psychoeducation resources to improve perinatal mental health, NHS England/NHS Improvements, ~£21K
• Jan 2022 – Dec 2023: Evaluation of the Outcomes of the Prevention and Diversion Services for Children and Young People, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Cumbria and Lancashire Youth Offending Services, £39K
• Nov 2021 – March 2022: Development of a measure of perceived quality of natural environment for children and young people, Natural England, ~£65K
• July 2021 – April 2023: Evaluation of Lancashire Women’s Starting Well Project, Funded by Lancashire Women, Lancashire Women, ~£22K
• July 2021 – March 2022: Systematic Review on Relational Practices, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation, ~£50K
• Feb 2021 – Jan 2023: Evaluation of National Peer Research Projects on Youth Violence, Youth Endowment Fund, ~£200K