About

I have worked as a Research Fellow in the Health, Psychology and Social Care Research Centre since 2014. I have a background in psychology and expertise in delivering both qualitative and quantitative research. Since working at the Centre I have been involved in a number of primary care and public health research projects. My research focuses on exploring the beliefs and behaviours of segments of the local population. including examining the drinking behaviours of women aged 45-64 and understanding why people use A&E departments rather than other NHS services. Previously I managed a large RCT examining the effects of omega-3 supplementation on children's learning and behaviour.

Research interests

I have a background in psychology. My PhD investigated the way in which motor constraints, especially those involved in articulatory fluency, determine short-term serial recall performance. I focussed on how mechanisms involved in assembling sequences of speech gestures determine short-term memory performance in a way that can’t be accounted for by more traditional, cognitive accounts of short-term memory.

I have also held several research posts, covering different areas of psychology including human factors, cognitive, developmental, and social psychology. I also managed a large RCT looking at the effects of omega-3 supplementation on the learning and behaviour of children.

I have expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Since being at Derby, my research has focussed on the experiences of service users, health and social care professionals, and the integration of health and social care services including, the challenges involved in developing new services. Other funded projects have involved exploring the beliefs and behaviours of segments of the local population, including examining the drinking behaviours of women aged 45-64 and mapping and exploring the needs of the local Armed Forces Community. The effect of COVID on local public health services and the impact on health inequalities. Evaluation of the partnership involved in Community Chesterfield Project.

I also have expertise in health and social care evaluation, evaluations include a mixed methods evaluation of the Family Nurse Partnership, a realist evaluation of a new home visiting programme for vulnerable mothers, evaluation of an integrated diabetes service, evaluation of a local service for women at risk through homelessness.

Previous Funded Projects

• Impact on Health inequalities of COVID on public services in Derbyshire (Project Commissioned by Derbyshire County Council) looking at how local public health services have been impacted by Covid with a focus on health inequalities
• Evaluation of Heart of Women’s Work Project (peer support programme for vulnerable women with complex needs)
• Evaluation of Women at Risk through homelessness (WoRTH) project (Padley)
• Identifying and Exploring the Needs of the Hidden Armed Forces Community in Derbyshire (Project commissioned by Derbyshire County Council- 2019-2020). Mixed methods study, consisting of surveys and focus groups
• Evaluation of Erewash Integrated Diabetes Service (Project funded by local CCG). Qualitative evaluation using normalisation theory to look at the acceptability of a new integrated diabetes service
• Realist evaluation of the Family First Model (Funded £20,000 By Ripplez-2018). PI on a study examining the impact of a new service on nurses, health visitors and other key stakeholders
• Accessing Appropriate NHS Services: Exploring why people choose to go to A& E rather than alternative services (CCG Funded Project 2017). Co-investigator on this project examining factors that influence decisions made by local people on where to seek medical help
• Middle-Aged Women and Alcohol: Ethnographic studies of pro-active management of care and re-active integrated care services. ((CCG Funded Project, 2017-2019). Co-investigator on a study focussing on the identification of factors that influence women’s levels of alcohol intake and identification of the barriers and facilitators in terms of providing effective pro-active and re-active prevention and care for women drinkers
• Care home provision and the NHS: Explaining variation in effective healthcare provision and integration (CCG Funded Project-2016. Qualitative project examining the impact of primary care alignment to Care Homes and identifying facilitators and barriers to effective integration between health and social care services
• Supporting Teenage Mothers: A Mixed Method Evaluation of the Family Nurse Partnership in one UK site (Funded Project 2015-2016– Ripplez, £20,000). Lead investigator of a mixed methods project evaluating the FNP and examining the longer-term impact on mothers who had graduated from the programme
• Facilitating consistent and appropriate referral and prescribing practices for muscular-skeletal problems in primary care. (Funded Project 2015-2016)

Recent publications

Publications

• Woodward, A., & Ruston, A. (2022)   Empowerment of the care home workforce through integration with health care. Journal of Interprofessional Care. 37 (1-9) doi 10.1080/13561820.2022.2047015
• Stiff, C., Rosenthal., H., Wake, S., & Woodward, A. (2019) Student pro-sociality: Measuring institutional and individual factors that predict pro-social behaviour at university. Current Psychology, 38, 920-930
• Hogan, S., Sheffield, D & Woodward, A. (2017) The value of art therapy in antenatal and postnatal care: A brief literature review with recommendations for future research.  International Journal of Art Therapy, DOI: 10.1080/17454832.2017.1299774
• Kirby, A., Woodward, A.J., Jackson, S., Wang Y., & Crawford M.A. (2010) The association of fatty acid deficiency symptoms (FADS) with actual essential fatty acid status in cheek cells. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes & Essential Fatty Acids, 83(1),1-8
• Kirby, A., Woodward, A.J., Jackson, S., Wang Y., & Crawford M.A. (2010). A double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigating the effects of omega-3 supplementation in children aged 8-10 years from a mainstream school population. Research in Developmental Disabilities 31(3),718-30
• Kirby, A., Woodward, A.J., Jackson, S., Wang Y., & Crawford M.A. (2010) Childrens' learning and behaviour and the association with cheek cell polyunsaturated fatty acid levels. Research in Developmental Disabilities 31(3), 731-42
• Kirby, A., Woodward, A.J., & Jackson, S. (2009). Benefits of omega-3 supplementation for schoolchildren; review of the current evidence. British Educational Research Journal, 6, 1-32
• Woodward, A.J., Macken, W.J., & Jones, D.M. (2005). Linguistic familiarity in short-term memory: A role for (co-)articulatory fluency? Journal of Memory and Language, 58, 48-68

Qualifications

• Psychology BSc - Cardiff University
• Psychology PhD - Cardiff University 

Teaching responsibilities

I am one of the module leads for the online Master's research project module, and module lead for the MRes Independent research module. I also teach sessions on quantitative research methods and statistics to students in Health and Social Care and provide research support to students and staff. I also support the teaching of psychology students on research methods, developmental psychology and Contemporary issues in comparative psychology modules. I also support research methods sessions in psychology for undergraduate students. I supervise Master's and PhD students.