Dr Sian Jenkins

I am an Early Career Fellow in the School of Psychology and Vision Sciences. My work focuses on medication adherence and multiple drug intolerances in cardiovascular diseases, namely hypertension. I have an interest in the role of wellbeing and stress in the management of health conditions. I also work alongside the local Hypertension Outpatient Clinic to work with patients and understand how we can integrate health psychology focused care into clinical practice.

My research focuses on understanding and changing health behaviours to improve patient outcomes, with a particular interest in cardiovascular disease and long-term conditions. I use health psychology and behavioural science to explore the psychological, social, and clinical factors that influence medication adherence, self-management, and engagement with healthcare. Working closely with multidisciplinary clinical teams, I develop and evaluate theory-informed interventions that can be embedded within routine NHS practice, with the aim of improving patient care and reducing health inequalities.

My current research spans medication adherence in hypertension, patient experiences of multiple drug intolerances, behaviour change intervention development, and the application of psychological theory to support shared decision-making and personalised care. I have expertise in qualitative and mixed-methods research, evidence synthesis, and implementation science, and I am committed to translating research findings into practical solutions that benefit patients, healthcare professionals, and health services.

I supervise student research across a range of quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and evidence synthesis projects. I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students whose interests align with my research, particularly in health psychology, medication adherence, hypertension, behaviour change, intervention development, patient experiences, and the application of behavioural science to improve health outcomes.

I teach and supervise students across undergraduate, MSc, MRes, and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programmes. My teaching focuses on health psychology, behaviour change, and applied psychology, with a particular emphasis on translating psychological theory into clinical practice. Through lectures, seminars, and research supervision, I support students in developing the knowledge and practical skills needed to apply behavioural science within healthcare settings.

In recognition of my doctoral research, I was awarded the College of Life Sciences PhD Prize for Exceptional Merit, recognising outstanding academic achievement and the quality of my doctoral research. In May 2026, I delivered my inaugural lecture, showcasing my programme of research and the development of a breathing-based intervention for people with hypertension, highlighting the translation of health psychology and behavioural science into clinical practice.