Dr Sophie Green

Profile

I am a research fellow working in the area of behavioural oncology within the Academic Unit of Primary Care. My broad research interests include the development and optimisation of complex interventions to prevent and manage cancer. Specific interests include psychological factors impacting those with cancer, optimisation trials, clinical trials methodology, and medication adherence. My background is in psychology and behavioural science, and I use a range of quantiative and qualitative methods. 

I currently hold an NIHR Development and Skills Enhancement Award (2024-2026), focusing on optimisation trials guided by the Multiphase Optimisation Strategy (MOST). I am specifically focusing on the secondary analysis of optimisation trial data to enhance our understand of how complex interventions may be having their effect and for whom. 

I also work as a research fellow on the NIHR funded ROSETA trial, which involves developing and optimising four behavioural intervention components, designed to support adherence to hormone therapy in women with breast cancer. This work is guided by the MOST framework, and uses a factorial trial design. My PhD (2021-2024) involved developing the four intervention components being tested in the ROSETA trial; SMS messages, information leaflet, acceptance and commitment therpay and a side-effect management website. My PhD was funded as part of an NIHR Advanced Fellowship (Prof Sam Smith) and was supervised by Prof Sam Smith, Dr Louide Hall, Dr Nikki Rousseau and Prof David French. I led the mixed-methods pilot trial process evaluation of ROSETA, assessing fidelity and acceptability of the four intervention components. I also led the qualitative process evaluation of the Yorkshire Cancer Research funded ACTION trial (PIs Prof Sam Smith, Prof Christopher Graham), which tested a group-based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention aiming to support medication decision-making and quality of life in women with breast cancer. 

In 2022 I was awarded a Health Behaviour International Collaborative Award, sponsored by the International Behavioural Trials Network. This award facilitated a collaboration with Professor Linda Collins and Dr Jillian Strayhorn from New York University, to conduct a secondary analysis of an optimiation trial dataset I generated during my PhD. This secondary analysis applied a Bayesian approach to decision making in optimisation trials, when there are multiple valued outcomes. Other awards include the University of Leeds Faculty of Medicine and Health Postgraduate Researcher Partnership award 2023, the US Society of Behavioural Medicine Optimisation special interest group student research abstract award in 2023, the International Behavioural Trials Network outstanding poster presentation award in 2022, and the UK Society of Behavioural Medicine top three scoring abstract award in 2022. I have also been awarded three travel/ international strategy funding awards to facilitate international research visits.

I currently chair the UK Society of Behavioural Medicine Early Career Network, in which I lead a committee to facilitate events, opportunities and networking for early career researchers with an interest in behavioural medicine.

My educational background includes a PhD from University of Leeds (2024), MSc in Mental Health Studies from King’s College London (2019), and a BSc in Psychology from Durham University (2018). I have also completed training as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner in 2020, obtaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions at University College London (UCL). 

Research interests

• Behavioural science/ behaviour change
• Complex intervention development
• Cancer
• Psychological factors relating to cancer prevention and management
• Medication adherence
• Intervention optimisation (Multiphase Optimisation Strategy)/ optmisation trials
• Process evaluations (mixed-methods)

Qualifications

• BSc Psychology, Durham University (2018)
• MSc Mental Health Studies, KCL (2019)
• PG Cert Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Interventions, UCL (2020)

Student education

I am involved in undergraduate medicine tutorials and extended research and evaluation projects.

Research groups and institutes

• Division of Primary Care, Palliative Care and Public Health
• Leeds Institute of Health Sciences