Dr Lexy Newbold

About me:

Lexy is a  Research Fellow working on the Nurture-U project in the Sir Henry Wellcome Centre for Mood Disorders Research Student Wellbeing | Nurture-U (nurtureuniversity.co.uk). She specialises in working on large national and international projects including randomised controlled trials  which test new interventions designed to prevent, or treat mental health disorders, especially e health, online and app-based interventions. The Nurture-U project aims to improve student wellbeing and involves collaborations with 7 UK Universities including Oxford, Southampton, Newcastle, Cardiff, Falmouth and Kings College, London.

Her previous work included managing two international randomised controlled trials within the ECoWeB project: Assessing and Enhancing Emotional Competence for Well-Being in Young Adults: A principled, evidence-based, mobile-health approach to prevent mental disorders and promote mental well-being. This Horizon 2020 funded project aimed to test a new self-help app designed to improve wellbeing and prevent mental ill health in young adults across Europe. She also trial managed the IMPROVE-2 trial which aimed to identify the active ingredients of online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on common mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.

Lexy is a research psychologist with a PgDip in Psychological Research Methods (2002) and a PHD in Psychology (2007), both from the University of Plymouth. Her PhD investigated perceptions of genetically modified foods and she has presented nationally and internationally on this issue. She worked as a researcher in the School of Psychology from 2000 to 2009 on a range of research projects including ‘Improving Communication in Times of Emergency’ which was funded by the Home Office. This mixed methods project applied research findings to real world environmental risk communication in the Plymouth area such as the possible nuclear risk from Devonport nuclear refit yard. She then went on to coordinate the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Evaluation Project at the Peninsula Medical School of Plymouth. This mixed methods project investigated how the design of the new NHS services providing talking therapies for patients with anxiety and depression affected patient outcomes, such as access to services and recovery. Lexy also has 12 years’ experience of teaching clinical and developmental psychology, statistics and research methods part time on the psychology undergraduate course at the University of Plymouth.

Research grants:

Hellier, Newbold and Edworthy, (2008) Evaluating the Application of Research Findings to Emergency Communication (£62,500)

Newbold and Byng (2010) Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Evaluation Project, PenCLAHRC funding £22,789

Newbold and Byng (2011) Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Evaluation Project, PenCLAHRC funding £55,691