M Barker MRC MR/N011848/1

Staff

Lead researchers

Professor Mary Barker PhD, C Psychol

Prof of Psychology & Behavioural Science

Research interests

Mary Barker is Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Science. She has a joint appointment in both the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton UK. Mary runs a programme of work in both the UK and in low-income countries aiming to engage young people in improving their sense of agency, well-being and mental health, to benefit their health in general but their diets and physical activity habits more specifically. Her team’s approach is participatory and combines social activism focused on engaging young people in the climate change and health agenda and testing methods of one-to-one support and digital resources including smartphone games. Much of this work takes place as part of her NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research EACH-B (Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour). She partners in this activity with the TALENT network of colleagues with interests in adolescent health and well-being based in institutions in low-and-middle-income countries. Her team also ran a five-country, longitudinal qualitative study with young people throughout the pandemic exploring their experience, mental health, well-being and resilience, data from which supported UK local and national government COVID messaging to young people. She is adjunct professor at the University of Agder, Norway, and has honorary appointments at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and University College London.

Connect with Mary

Email: meb@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Other researchers

Dr Leanne Morrison

Associate Professor

Research interests

Health Psychology
Person-based intervention development
Digital technology

Connect with Leanne

Email: L.Morrison@soton.ac.uk

Research outputs

Engaging teenagers in improving their health behaviours and increasing their interest in science (Evaluation of LifeLab Southampton): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

K. Woods-Townsend, L. Bagust, M. Barker, A. Christodoulou, H. Davey, K. Godfrey, M. Grace, J. Griffiths, M. Hanson & H. Inskip, 2015, Trials, 16(1), 372

DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-0890-z

Type: article

Influences on the diet quality of pre-school children: Importance of maternal psychological characteristics

M. Jarman, H.M. Inskip, G. Ntani, C. Cooper, J. Baird, S.M. Robinson & M.E. Barker, 2015, Public Health Nutrition, 18(11), 2001-2010

DOI: 10.1017/S136898001400250X

Type: article

Developmental origins, behaviour change and the new public health

M. Barker, 2015, Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 6(5), 428-433

DOI: 10.1017/S2040174415001312

Type: article

Improving nutritional care: innovation and good practice

C. Chapman, M. Barker & W. Lawrence, 2015, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(4), 881-894

DOI: 10.1111/jan.12571

Type: article

Process evaluation of complex interventions: Medical Research Council guidance

G.F. Moore, S. Audrey, M. Barker, L. Bond, C. Bonell, W. Hardeman, L. Moore, A. O'Cathain, T. Tinati, D. Wight & J. Baird, 2015, British Medical Journal, 350(mar19 6), h1258-h1258

DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h1258

Type: article