Dr Joanne Cecil

Dr Joanne Cecil

Lecturer

Researcher profile

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 3541
Email
jc100@st-andrews.ac.uk

 

Teaching

I teach behavioural medicine, communication skills and research skills to medical undergraduates, and students on the ScotGEM programme. I developed and led on taught postgraduate modules, taught and supervised research on the MSc Health Psychology programme [2009-2022]. I supervise MSc and Phd students. 

My School Roles:

  • MD5003 MSc Health Psychology Module Controller
  • MD5090 MSc Health Psychology Module Controller
  • Postgrad Exam Coordinator for MSc Health Psychology
  • Personal Tutor (BSc Hons, ScotGEM)
  • Medical Assessment team member
  • PGR Committee member - rep for Disabilities & for Population and Behavioural Sciences
  • Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee member
  • Ethics committee member and vice-convenor (population, people, education)
  • MD4002 strand lead for Population and Behavioural Science

Research areas

My research interests include:

  • eating behaviour, obesity
  • healthcare communication
  • wellbeing and health behaviours

I take an interdisciplinary approach (physiological, psychological, behavioural, genetics) to understanding the question of individual susceptibility to obesity, conducting empirical research (lab, community-based) in human populations across the age span.  My research includes otherwise-healthy children and adults, and those ranging from people who are underweight to those with obesity.  I look at factors that create so-called obesogenic environments (e.g. portion size) as well as individual characteristics (e.g. trait eating behaviours, genetics).  I combine my obesity expertise with interests in clinical communication, where I have developed a research program investigating healthcare communication within the context of patient overweight and obesity in primary care.  My research on wellbeing investigates health behaviours and how they contribute to stress, resilience and burnout in medical students and doctors.  

PhD supervision

  • Emma Gale
  • Emma Gale

Selected publications

 

See more publications