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HomeAcademic staffDr Susie Sykes
Dr Susie Sykes

Dr Susie Sykes

sykess@lsbu.ac.uk

Social Work, Community and Public Health

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3758-2898

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I joined LSBU in 2006 and am Professor of Public Health and Health Promotion in the Institute of Health and Social Care. I worked previously at the University of East London and de Montford University and in a number of public and voluntary sector public health organisations. I have a BA(hons) from the University of Sheffield, an MA in Health and Community Development from de Montfort University and acquired my PhD in Public Health from LSBU. I teach public health and research methods and was, until recently, the Course Director for the Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Care.

My areas of research interest focusses on; health literacy, community focused public health, intervention evaluation and workforce development. I believe that understanding the impact of low levels of health literacy and the opportunities for building critical health literacy at a community level as a mechanism for addressing the determinants of health is important as a strategy for reducing health inequalities. Recent projects examined eHealth literacy for people experiencing infertility and also eHealth literacy in a pandemic context. In collaboration with international partners I am an elected member of the Global Working Group for Health Literacy and part of the Global Health literacy and Covid-19 consortium.

Key to my work is a commitment to research that supports the public health workforce and the evaluation of population public health and health promotion interventions has always formed an important part of my research. Recent projects include supporting the evaluation of Making Every Contact Count initiatives resulting in national guidelines commissioned by PHE and I am currently involved in an evaluation of an advocacy project in Yorkshire and Humber to reduce the advertising of High Fat, Sugar and Salt foods.

I am the Director of the newly established PHIRST London Research Centre, one of 6 UK wide centres funded by NIHR to evaluate locally led traditional and non-traditional public health interventions. This Centre provides an important opportunity to co-produce evaluations with local areas and ensure findings drive change at both a local and national level. I am also Co- chair of the Population Health and Prevention Research group and Chair of the Institute’s Systematic Review Board. I am committed to workforce development, working closely with partner organisations such as HEE, PHE and UKPHR in researching the needs of the public health workforce and have been part of several projects commissioned to provide masterclasses to support public health practitioners towards registration. I am an assessor for the UKPHR public health registration programme.

Postgraduate Research Supervision
Current
Ms Aneesa AdmaniThe exploration of incivility in the therapeutic radiography clinical education settingPhD
Miss Temitope OnasanyaDoctoral Research ProjectPhD
Mrs Kathryn Mary Harris PickupDoctoral Research ProjectPhD
Mr Joshua SharmanDoctoral Research ProjectPhD
Gary FrancisDProf (taught)

Awarded in the last 5 years
Miss Catherine JenkinsPublic libraries as settings for the development of critical health literacy in children.PhD
Mr Gary FrancisDoctoral Research ProjectDProf
PhD

LSBU

2011
2015
MA(distinction)Health and Community Development

de Montfort University

1998
2000
Certificate in Higher Education

LSBU

2009
2010
BA(hons)

University of Sheffield

1991
1994
Associate Professor
LSBU

2019
Education
Senior Lecturer - Research
LSBU

2015
2019
Education
Senior Lecturer- Public Health and Health Promotion
LSBU

2006
2015
Education
Associate Lecturer - Health Promotion
University of East London

2004
2006
Education
Teenage Pregnancy Research and Evaluation Specialist
Croydon PCT

2001
2006
Other public sector
Associate Lecturer - health and social research methods
de Montfort University

2001
2004
Education
Health Promotion Specialist
Bromley PCT

1997
2001
Other public sector
Research and Evaluation Secondment
Applied Research Unit, Bromley PCT

1999
2000
Other public sector
Team Leader - young people's drugs project
Turning Point

1994
1996
Third sector/charities
FunderYear wonProjectRole
Newcastle City Council 2024ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses 2024_North East NCCPrincipal Investigator
NHS England2024ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses 2024_North West NHSEPrincipal Investigator
NHS England2023ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses_Midlands NHSEPrincipal Investigator
NHS England2023ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses_North West NHSEPrincipal Investigator
Health Education England2023HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_KSSPrincipal Investigator
Health Education England2023HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_WessexPrincipal Investigator
Health Education England2023HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_East of EnglandPrincipal Investigator
Health Education England2023HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_MidlandsPrincipal Investigator
Newcastle City Council 2023HSC_PH Masterclasses_North East HEEPrincipal Investigator
Health Education England2023HSC_PH Practitioner masterclasses_North West HEEPrincipal Investigator
Health Education England2022HSC_PH Practitioner masterclasses_WessexPrincipal Investigator
Academy of Public Health London and Kent Surrey Sussex2022HSC_PH Practitioners Masterclasses_KSSPrincipal Investigator
Health Education England2022HSC_ Public Health Masterclasses_HEE Midlands Principal Investigator
UKPHR2022HSC_ Public Health CDP Programme_UKPHRPrincipal Investigator
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)2021Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies TeamPrincipal Investigator
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)2020Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies TeamPrincipal Investigator
Kent County Council2019Practitioner masterclasses for London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex UKPHR participantsCo-Investigator
Kent County Council2019H652_Consultancy_KCC_MECC Evaluation HandbookCo-Investigator
Kent County Council2019H651_Consultancy_KCC_MECC Sandpit ProjectCo-Investigator
ProposalProjectRoleFunderStatusStatus last updated
Public Health Practitioner Scheme Facilitator_KCCPublic Health Practitioner Scheme Facilitator_KCCPrincipal InvestigatorKent County CouncilOPEN Approved for submissionJan 2020
PSL2324-0231 ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses 2024_EoE NHSEACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses 2024_EoE NHSEPrincipal InvestigatorNHS EnglandOPEN Approved for submissionJan 2024
Workstream 3) Community Research and Co-Production Worksteam Workstream 3) Community Research and Co-Production Worksteam Principal InvestigatorSouthwark CouncilOPEN In preparationMar 2024
PSL2223-0242 HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_MidlandsHSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_MidlandsPrincipal InvestigatorHealth Education EnglandOPEN Approved for submissionMar 2023
PSL2223-0222 HSC_PH Masterclasses_North East HEEHSC_PH Masterclasses_North East HEEPrincipal InvestigatorNewcastle City Council OPEN Approved for submissionMar 2023
PSL2122-0369 HSC_PH Practitioners Masterclasses_KSSHSC_PH Practitioners Masterclasses_KSSPrincipal InvestigatorAcademy of Public Health London and Kent Surrey SussexOPEN Approved for submissionJun 2022
PSL2122-0336 HSC_ Public Health Masterclasses_HEE Midlands HSC_ Public Health Masterclasses_HEE Midlands Principal InvestigatorHealth Education EnglandOPEN Approved for submissionApr 2022
HEA
2015
RSPH
2016
EUPHA - health promotion section
2018
Global Working Group for Health Literacy
2019
Frontiers in Public Health

Guest editor
2020
Nordic studies on alcohol and drugs
Sage Open
Birmingham City University
External examiner

Public health and Health Promotion

Leadership

September 2016
September 2020
La Trobe University, Australia
External examiner

Doctoral Examiner

August 2020
October 2020
Birmingham City University
Other

External Academic Advisor - revalidation

Public Health and Health Promotion

September 2015
October 2015
Brunel University London
Other

Academic Advisor - Revalidation

Public health and health promotion

September 2012
October 2012
SouthEast University, Nanjing, China
Other

Associate Lecturer

Public Health

February 2018
October 2020
University of Sheffield

Joint applicant on an NIHR bid

May 2019
October 2020
University of Southampton

Joint applicant on an NIHR bid

May 2019
October 2020
University of Bath

Joint applicant on an NIHR bid

May 2019
October 2020
University of Bath Spa

Joint applicant on an NIHR bid

May 2019
October 2020
Newcastle University

Joint Applicant on a Cost bid

May 2018
October 2020
Bielefeld University, Germany

Joint Applicant on a Cost bid and Horizon 2020 bid

May 2018
October 2020

Involving Lived Experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond ‘window dressing’ and ‘tick box exercises’
Jenkins, C., Mills, T., Grimes J, Bland C, Reavey, P., Wills, J. and Sykes, S. (2024). Involving Lived Experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond ‘window dressing’ and ‘tick box exercises’. BMC Public Health. 24, p. 384. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3658745/v1

Critical health literacy: conceptualization and settings-based development
Sykes, S and Jenkins, C L (2023). Critical health literacy: conceptualization and settings-based development. European Journal of Public Health. 33 (Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.047

Harnessing lived experience in a community-based intervention to address gambling-related harms
Jenkins, C, Mills, T, Reavey, P, Moss, A, Sykes, S, Wills, J and Grimes, J (2023). Harnessing lived experience in a community-based intervention to address gambling-related harms. European Journal of Public Health. 33 (Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.1654

What works in advocating for food advertising policy change across an english region - a realist evaluation.
Sykes, S., Watkins, M., Bond, M., Jenkins, C. and Wills, J. (2023). What works in advocating for food advertising policy change across an english region - a realist evaluation. BMC Public Health. 23 (1), p. 1896. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16829-8

‘Odds Are: They Win’: a disruptive messaging innovation for challenging harmful products and practices of the gambling industry
T. Mills, J. Grimes, E. Caddick, C.L. Jenkins, J. Evans, A. Moss, J. Wills and S. Sykes (2023). ‘Odds Are: They Win’: a disruptive messaging innovation for challenging harmful products and practices of the gambling industry. Public Health. 224, pp. 41-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2023.08.009

Public health practitioners as policy advocates: skills, attributes and development needs.
Sykes, S., Wills, J. and Watkins, M. (2023). Public health practitioners as policy advocates: skills, attributes and development needs. Health Promotion International. 38 (5), p. daad102. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daad102

Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions?
Watkins, M., Mallion, J.S., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions? Public Health in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100412

Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis
Watkins, M., Mallion, J., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis. Frontiers in Digital Health. 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1130784

Settings for the development of health literacy: A conceptual review
Jenkins, C., Wills, J. and Sykes, S. (2023). Settings for the development of health literacy: A conceptual review. Frontiers in Public Health. 11, p. 1105640. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1105640

Multiple group membership, optimistic bias and infection risk in the context of emerging infectious diseases
Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S., Wood, K. and Albery, I. (2023). Multiple group membership, optimistic bias and infection risk in the context of emerging infectious diseases. European Journal of Health Psychology. (30), pp. 115-125. https://doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000127

Involving Children in Health Literacy Research
Jenkins, C., Wills, J. and Sykes, S. (2022). Involving Children in Health Literacy Research. Children. 10 (1), p. 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010023

Public Libraries as Supportive Environments for Children’s Development of Critical Health Literacy
Jenkins, C., Sykes, S. and Wills, J. (2022). Public Libraries as Supportive Environments for Children’s Development of Critical Health Literacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19 (19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911896

Editorial: The Social-Ecological Context of Health Literacy
Dadaczynski, K., Sykes, S., Bíró, É. and Kósa, K. (2022). Editorial: The Social-Ecological Context of Health Literacy. Frontiers in Public Health. 10, p. 897717. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.897717

Differences in digital health literacy and future anxiety between health care and other university students in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frings, D., Sykes, S., Ojo,A, Rowlands, G, Trasolini, A, Dadaczynski, K, Okan, O and Wills, J. (2022). Differences in digital health literacy and future anxiety between health care and other university students in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health. 22 (658). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13087-y

The use of mHealth apps in interactive health literacy – perspectives from healthcare professionals.
Stewart-Lord, A., Sykes, S., Admani, A., Angell-Wells, C., Williams, R., Tsang, Y. and Johnson, R. (2021). The use of mHealth apps in interactive health literacy – perspectives from healthcare professionals. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8140(21)08426-7

eHealth literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: seeking, sharing, suspicion amongst older and younger UK populations
Sykes, S., Wills, J., Trasolini, A., Wood, K. and Frings, D. (2021). eHealth literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: seeking, sharing, suspicion amongst older and younger UK populations. Health Promotion International. 37 (1), p. daab103. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab103

Multidimensional eHealth Literacy for Infertility
Sykes, S., Wills, J., Frings, D., Church, S. and Wood, K. (2020). Multidimensional eHealth Literacy for Infertility. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17 (3), pp. 966-966. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030966

Shaping alcohol health literacy: a systematic concept analysis and review
Sykes, S, Wills, J, Okan, O and Rowlands, G (2019). Shaping alcohol health literacy: a systematic concept analysis and review. Health Literacy Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20191104-01

Critical health literacy for the marginalised: Empirical findings
Sykes, S. and Wills, J. (2019). Critical health literacy for the marginalised: Empirical findings. in: Orkan, O., Ullrich, B., Levin-Zamir, D., Pinheiro, P. and Sorensen, K. (ed.) International Handbook of Health Literacy: Research, Practice and Policy across the Life-Span Bristol

Gender and health literacy: men’s health beliefs and behavior in Trinidad
Wills, J., Sykes, S., Hardy, S., Joshua, K., Moorley, C. and Ocho, O (2019). Gender and health literacy: men’s health beliefs and behavior in Trinidad. Health Promotion International. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daz076

Challenges and opportunities in building critical health literacy
Sykes, SM and Wills, JD (2018). Challenges and opportunities in building critical health literacy. Global Health Promotion. 25 (4), p. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757975918789352

Enhancing care transitions for older people through interprofessional simulation: a mixed method evaluation
Sykes, SM, Baillie, LJ, Thomas, B, Scotter, J and Martin, F (2017). Enhancing care transitions for older people through interprofessional simulation: a mixed method evaluation. International Journal of Integrated Care. 17 (6), pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.3055

Do nurses' personal health behaviours impact on their health promotion practice: a systematic review
Kelly, M, Wills, JD and Sykes, SM (2017). Do nurses' personal health behaviours impact on their health promotion practice: a systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 76, pp. 62-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.08.008

The Role of Community Development in Building Critical Health Literacy
Sykes, SM, Wills, JD and Popple, K (2017). The Role of Community Development in Building Critical Health Literacy. Community Development Journal. 53 (4), pp. 751-767. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsx019

Good to Go: Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs.
Thomas, B, Baillie, LJ, Martin, F, Sykes, SM and Scotter, J (2016). Good to Go: Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs. 16th International Conference on Integrated Care. Barcelona, Spain 23 - 25 May 2016

Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs
Baillie, LJ, Thomas, B, Martin, F, Sykes, SM and Scotter, J (2016). Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs. 16th International Conference on Integrated Care. Barcelona, Spain 23 - 25 May 2016 London South Bank University.

Using community development to build critical health literacy
Sykes, SM, Wills, JD and Crichton, N (2016). Using community development to build critical health literacy. 4th Health Literacy Conference - Health Literacy. Glasgow 18 Mar 2016