Dr Wendy Maltinsky

Health Psychologist CPsychol Health and Social Care Practitioner behaviours and language: Delivered a 5 year project supporting diabetes health practitioners to use behavioural change language as part of consultations. Funded through the Scottish Government (Scottish Diabetes Group) Global Health: My work for the Scottish Diabetes Group led onto other projects. This has included work in Uganda with the Royal College of Midwives and the Ugandan Private Midwives Association. Facilitated through the Change Exchange of Manchester University we looked into the factors that could increase self efficacy in a student midwifery mentoring project. I have also been interested in how behaviour change training of health professionals can be made more culturally sensitive in work with Health Extension Workers in Ethiopia (again through the Change Exchange) . Co-development project with health professionals in St Helena (University of Stirling Escalator and Burdett Trust funded project). Commonwealth Pharmacists Association - training in behavioural science on behaviour change in antimicrobial resistance. The training I develop is informed by the Health Behaviour Change Competency Framework (Dixon and Johnston, 2010) which considers behaviour change competencies through motivation, action and prompt pathways. Digital Health: EPSRC funded project (£400000): Co-development Digital Avatar for Breathing Retraining (2021-2024) EPSRC funded project (£400000): Co-development of On-organ device to support bowel self management for those who have difficulty controlling or emptying bowels (2021-2024) NIHR research for patient benefit (£20000): Cognitive muscular restructuring for people with asthma and breathing pattern disorder (2025-2027)

Chair Division of Health Psychology - Scotland 2022-2024 Past Chair Division of Health Psychology Scotland 2024 - Committee Member Division of Health Psychology - Scotland 2018 - Review Panel: Napier University Psychology Programme 2024 University of Luxembourg, MSc Psychological Interventions: External Lecturer on Applications of Health Psychology 2015 - Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy - 2016 Principal Fellow Higher Education Academy - 2021 University of Stirling Digital Champion 2020 - 2022 University of Stirling Community of Scholars Mentor 2024 - University of Stirling Equality, Diversity and Inclusiveness committee member 2022 - 2024 Scottish Diabetes Education Group Member SIGN Council committee member

My work involves using behavioural science to understand behaviours and to apply behaviour change principles and theories and the language of behaviour change to support change. I frequently work in multidisciplinary teams exploring the interventions that might help to improve outcomes, largely in the area of health, though I have worked in areas as diverse as aquaculture, plant health and population modelling. I bring the notion of the person, into a room where the discussions can be around technology, innovations and improvements by exploring how psychological theories can be used to understand the barriers and facilitators to change; how can we use psychological theory to make change easier. I am a strong believer that for something to change, people frequently need to change. I have been extensively involved in the development and delivery of training of health professionals to use evidence-based behaviour change techniques as part of consultations in practice settings. Using behaviour change principles as part of training helps to adapt the training outcomes from building competence in knowing HOW to do something to that of 'implementing' that behaviour in a practice setting. 'Knowing how' and 'Practicing in practice' can be quite distinct and my approach to training bridges this gap. The form of delivery of training may influence the development of knowledge, skills and implementation to practice. I am also interested in the integration of digital health in the prevention, diagnosis and management of health and long term conditions. I work with multidisciplinary teams bringing behavioural science to ensure that technology has a role and a meaning and that the barriers and facilitators to the use of the technology have been considered and integrated into the design. I like to work in a way that helps to ensure that digital technology is harnessed for the benefit of health outcomes and informed by behavioural science. This way we can ensure that the technology is fit for purpose, that it is safe, easy and acceptable for use and that barriers to use are addressed. Further this approach ensures that the technology will be assessed for any potential to disadvantage certain groups or individuals and these disadvantages are addressed. Co-development can be particularly valuable in these contexts to work alongside those who will be the ‘end users’ and as such the final interventions will be more likely to be fit for purpose.

I am a Principal Fellow with the Higher Education Academy. I supported the digital pivot within the Faculty of Natural Sciences during the lockdowns imposed during covid19. I assisted academics to consider the mechanisms by which to teach using online platforms and methods to engage with student in non face-to-face environments both synchronously and asynchronously. I currently act as a mentor with the Community of Scholars; academics on teaching and learning contracts to explore collaborative objectives in relation to a scholarship activity. In teaching and research, I frequently use interactive approaches which I have honed through many years as a trainer working with industry, Higher Education, the NHS and third sector organisations. I have developed many training programmes for the NHS including Health Behaviour Change, Raising sensitive issues, child nutrition, physical activity. I have an extensive background in teaching and training using interactive approaches as appropriate. I have developed training, education and interventions using digital technology.