Dr Ian Kellar

Profile

I am an associate professor of health psychology with expertise in developing and evaluating interventions that use behaviour change techniques for implementation both in the UK and in LMICs. I have been an investigator on research grants totalling £27.5 million of funding, of which 16 were peer-reviewed Research Council grants, including 5 NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research and 2 NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation grants.

I am currently a co-investigator on 12 funded studies, of which 3 include trials in ODA-recipient countries. These funded studies include intervention development / evaluation for support for people with TB & co-morbid depression, improving communication for people with aphasia, physiotherapy rehabilitation, medication adherence, medicines optimisation, self-management of long-term conditions for people with severe mental illness, tobacco cessation/harm reduction, and tooth brushing. 

Among other responsibilities, I am the intervention modelling work package lead on a NIHR programme grant to improve the use of prescribed medicines at transitions, intervention development and testing workstream lead on an NIHR programme grant to develop and evaluate a diabetes self-management intervention for people with severe mental illness, and intervention adaptation workstream lead on an NIHR programme grant to develop and evaluate a behavioural activation intervention for people with co-morbid depression and diabetes in South Asia.

My research has been funded by Cancer Research UK, ESRC, Health Foundation, MRC (PHIND, Trial), NHS England SBRI, NIHR (HS&DR, HTA, PDG, PGfAR, RIGHT), Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and the White Rose Consortium. Current projects include:

• EVEREST-HN
• PECE
• iSWITCHED
• CONTROL
• The APT project
• TECH-Y
• CHARMER
• D-MAPP
• CLASS III
• DIADEM
• DIAMONDS
• BRIGHT
• INDICATE

I attained CPsychol (Health) in 2006. I am a member of the College of Experts to support the DHSC/UKRI Global Effect on COVID-19 Health Research. Between 2018 and 2020, I chaired the advisory group for an NIHR-funded evidence synthesis project looking at multiple risk behaviour interventions for people with severe mental illness. I served on the UKSBM executive committee in the role of publicity officer from 2007-2011, on behalf of whom he submitted evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology committee on behaviour change.

I rejoined the UKSBM exec committee in 2018-2021 in the role of Social Media Officer. I served as lead of the Behaviour Change Grand Challenge within the School of Psychology from 2013-2016. I was a principal collaborator on the NIHR CLAHRC-YH Evidence-Based Transformation theme and a match-funded collaborator on the NIHR CLAHRC-YH Mental Health and Co-Morbidities theme. I was an NIHR CLAHRC Yorkshire & Humber Fellow (2014 - 2015). I have served on the editorial board of the British Journal of Health Psychology since 2006, the Journal of Patient Preference and Adherence since 2015, and as an academic editor for PLOS ONE from 2015-2019. 

I have supervised 9 PhD students to completion. I currently supervise 2 PhD students and 1 NIHR clinical doctoral fellow elsewhere within the University of Leeds, and am a dissertation committee member for 1 PhD student in the USA and 1 elsewhere in the UK.

Responsibilities

Research Lead (School of Psychology)

• External Examiner (MSc Psychology, Birmingham City University)
• External Examiner (MSc Public Health & Health Promotion, Brunel University)

Qualifications

• CPsychol (Health) (2006)
• DPhil Evaluating Brief Theory-Based Interventions to Promote Health Behaviours. University of Sussex (2005)
• BA (Hons) Social Psychology. University of Sussex (2000).

Research interests

I have an interest in developing and evaluating interventions to promote health behaviour change. I employ behaviour change theory in evidence synthesis, co-design, and qualitative and quantitative approaches in the development of behaviour change interventions and evaluates their acceptability, implementation, and efficacy in feasibility and phase 2 randomised controlled trials.

Ongoing funded projects

• Paleri, V., Bradley, P., Elkington, C., Emery, L., Hardman, J., Hooper, R., Kapoor, K., Kavanagh, K., Kellar, I., Kerawala, C., Mihaylova, B., Randell, R., Rousseau, N., Tikka, T., Van der Meulen, J. (2022-2028) EVolution of a patiEnt-REported symptom-based risk stratification sySTem to redesign the suspected Head and Neck cancer referral pathway (EVEREST-HN). NIHR PGfAR (£2,982,726/5%FTE).
• Weighall, A. & Kellar, I. (2022-2023) A modelling and feasibility study of a Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE). Nuffield Foundation (£260,198/5%FTE).
• Farooq, S., Kendal, P., Maidment, I., Kingston, T., Hussain, N., Haddad, P., Kellar, I., Chew-Graham, C., Dziedzic, K., Lewis, M., Shiers, D.) (2022-2025) Developing and user testing iSWITCHED (implementing SWITCHing EDucational intervention) to support switching antipsychotics to improve physical health outcomes in people with severe mental illness. NIHR HS&DR  (£918,558/5%FTE).
• Farooq, S., Zohaib, K., Amirzadah, H., Ashraf, S., Khan, M., Gul, M., Javed, S., Kellar, I., Seddiq, M., Komproe, I., Lewis, M., Mallen, C., Naeem, F., Sanauddin, N., Sarwari, B., ul Haq, M., Ul Haq, Z. (2021-2025).  The CONTROL (COgNitive Therapy for depRessiOn in tubercuLosis treatment) programme of research to improve outcomes for depression and TB in Pakistan and Afghanistan. NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation (Call 3) (£4,877,210/5%FTE).
• Conaghan P., Adams, J., Brown, S., Burton, C., Davies, C., Dziedzic, K., Kellar, I., Kingsbury, S., Macfarlane, G., McHugh, G., Mujica-Mota, R., Stocken, D.,  Thurlow, V., Walker-Bone, K., (2021-2026) Development and evaluation of the Digital-My Arm Pain Programme (D-MAPP) for improving painful distal upper limb musculoskeletal disorders. NIHR PGfAR (£2,504,784.00/10%FTE).
• Martin-Kerry, J., Marshman, Z., Kellar, I., Phillips, B., Morgan, J., El-Yousef, S., Nobel, F., Prodgers, L., Pownall, M., Grey-Burrows, K., Bartlett, C., Court, R., Dimitri, P., Higgins, S., Stones, S., Swallow, V. (2021-22) Establishing a regional consortium to lead the improvement of health technology for children and young people. White Rose Collaboration Fund (£10,414).
• Palmer, R., Cruice, M., Beeke, S., Coates, L., Cooper, C., Flight, L., Gibbs, E., Hilari, K., Jagoe, C., Kellar, I., Sudworth, K., Witts, H. (2021-2023) Communication Partner Training for people with aphasia and their family members: identification of intervention components, expected outcomes and associated outcome measures. NIHR PDG (£149,994. 2%FTE).
• Bhattacharya, D., Wright, D., Longmore, J., Alldred, D., Clark, A., Gibson, I., Keevil, V., Kellar, I., Murphy, K., Patel, M., Scott, S., Swart, A.M., Taylor, J., Turner, D., Witham, M.(2020-2025) CompreHensive geriAtRician-led MEdication Review (CHARMER). NIHR PGfAR (£2,420,591/ 5.8%FTE).
• Siddiqi N., Aamir, A. H., Afaq, S., Azad, K., Ekers, D., Fottrell, E., Gilbody, S., Hewitt, C., Holt, R., Huque, R., Jacobs, R., Jenning, H. Kellar, I., Nizami, A., Ul Haq, Z., Walker, S. (2020-2024)  Developing and evaluating an adapted behavioural activation intervention for people with depression and diabetes in South Asia. NIHR RIGHT (£3,005,541/5.5%FTE).
• Ashley. L., Kassim, S., Kellar, I., Kidd, L., Mair, F., Matthews, M., Palmer, M., Swinson, D., Velikova, G., Wadsley, J. (2021-2022) Improving self and clinical management of comorbid diabetes during cancer treatments: a qualitative interview study with patients and clinicians to identify theory-based intervention targets, strategies and implementation options. RfPB (£149,784/5%FTE).
• Siddiqi, K., Sheik, A., Hewitt, C., Kanaan, M., Parrott, S., Kellar, I., Jackson, C., Iqbal, R., Rizvi, N., Khan, J., Huque, R., Pardhan, A., Ferdous, T., Pervin, M., Readshaw, A. (2020-2023) Children Learning About Second-hand Smoke: Cluster randomised-controlled trial. MRC JGHT scheme. (£1,224,737/5%FTE).
• Siddiqi, N., Taylor, J., Hewitt, C., Shiers, D., Kellar, I., Ali, S., Parrott, S., Holt, R., Gilbody, S., Doherty, P., Ajjan, R., Osborn, D., Long, S., Coventry, P., Boehnke, J., Alderson, S. (2018-2023) Developing and evaluating a diabetes self-management intervention for people with severe mental illness: The DIAMONDS programme (Diabetes and Mental Illness, Improving Outcomes and Self-management). NIHR PGfAR. (£2,484,546/10%FTE).
• Innes, N., Marshman, Z., Pavitt, S., Kellar, I., Day, P., Stevens, K., Betton, V., Torgerson, D., Gilcrest, F., Buckley, H., Hewitt, C., Chestnutt, I., Jones, C., Cooper, D., Shah, S., Pollard, L. (2017 - 2022) BRIGHT Trial: Brushing RemInder 4 Good oral HealTh: the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a Short Messaging Service behaviour change programme to improve the oral health of young people living in deprived areas. HTA Primary Research. (£1,915,701/2.5%FTE).
• Blenkinsopp A., Armitage G., Turner, R., Gardner, P., Kellar, I., Farrin, A., Wright, J., Longo, R., Kirkpatrick, I., Silcock, J., Holloway, I., Aldred, D., Mohammed, M., Gale, C., Alderson, S., Raynor, T. (2015-2021) Improving the safety and continuity of medicines management at care transitions (ISCOMAT). NIHR PGfAR. (£2,074,179/2.5%FTE).

Previously funded projects

• Baker, J. Berzins, K., McDougall, T., Goldson, B., Kellar, I., Wright, J. Establishing components of interventions to reduce restrictive practices with children and young people: an evidence synthesis. NIHR HS&DR. (£246,088/5%FTE) 
• Knapp, P., Martin-Kerry, J., Phillips, B., Blower, S., Torgerson, D., Swallow, V., Dimitri, P., Marshman, Z., Stones, S., Kellar, I., Curtis, P., Higgins, S., Mills, N. (2018-2019) Identifying and understanding the most effective way to inform children and young people with long-term conditions about technology interventions to promote optimum healthcare. University of York University Research Priming. (£14,994)
• Weighall, A., Kellar, I., Nash, H., McDaid, C., Hewitt, C., Elphick, H., Dawson, V. (2018) Characterising and Evaluating a Complex Behavioural Intervention to Improve Sleep in Children with Sleep Difficulties. RDSYH Public Involvement in Grant Applications Funding Award – CALL 34. NIHR Research Design Service - Yorkshire & The Humber. (£484)
• Burke, S., Campbell, J., Kellar, I., Gilbert, S. (2017-2018) Investigating the feasibility and acceptability of geocaching for promoting physical activity in childhood cancer patients and their families.  Cancer Research UK BUPA Foundation Fund Innovation Grant. (£20,059/3%FTE).
• Baker, J., Berzins, K., Duxbury, J., Edgar, F., Kellar, I., Kendal T.,  Stewart, D., Wright, J. (2017-2019) Establishing components of programmes to reduce restrictive practices: an evidence synthesis. NIHR HS & DR. (£239,800/5%FTE) .
• Siddiqi, K., Hewitt, C., Parrott, S., Fairhurst, C., Semple, S., Huque, R., Aziz, S., Kellar, I., Jackson, C. (2016-2020) Muslim Communities Learning About Second-hand Smoke in Bangladesh (MCLASS II): An effectiveness-implementation hybrid study. MRC Research Grant. (£746,636/5%FTE).
• Siddiqi, N., Gascoyne, S., Taylor, J., Hewitt, C., Shiers, D., Lewis, H., Ajjan, R., Kellar, I., Ali, S., Hughes, T., Parrott, S., Wright, J. Gallagher, T., Holt, R., Gilbody, S., Doran, T. (2016-2017) Developing and evaluating a diabetes self-management education intervention for people with severe mental illness: The DIAMONDS programme (Diabetes and Mental Illness, Improving Outcomes and Self-management). NIHR Programme Development Grants. (£99,484/5%FTE).
• Hassall, C., Kellar, I.,  Dallimer, M. (2016) Interactions between urban children and their school grounds to evaluate the use of school-based green space. LSSI Seed Corn Funding for Social Science/STEM Collaborations. (£1,730).
• Eaglesham, J., Bramwell, S., Tiley, P., Jones, H., Dallard, N., Kellar, I., Petty, D.,  Betton, V., Aldawoud, T., Dawson, R., Husain, W., Gaston, T., Southall, L., Belsey, J., Turner, R., Stewart, I. (2015-2016) Meds Companion Phase 2 Demonstrator. Small Business Research Initiatives Healthcare NHS England competition for development contracts. (£1,000,000/10%FTE).
• Nash, H. Weighall, A. Kellar, I. & Blackwell, J. (2015) Using a portable, objective measure of sleep to investigate the relationship between sleep, cognition and psychosocial well-being in paediatric narcolepsy. Child Brain Research ‘Seedcorn’ funding. (£7,500).
• Blenkinsopp A., Armitage G., Turner, R., Gardner, P., Kellar, I., Farrin, A., Wright, J., Longo, R., Kirkpatrick, I., Silcock, J., Holloway, I., Aldred, D., Mohammed, M., Gale, C., Alderson, S., Raynor, T. (2015-2021) Improving the safety and continuity of medicines management at care transitions (ISCOMAT). NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research. (£2,074,179/2.5%FTE).
• Eaglesham, J., Kellar, I., Power, E., Turner, R., Jones, S. (2014-2015) Meds Companion. Small Business Research Initiatives Healthcare NHS England competition for development contracts. (£100,000)
• Lawton, R., Kellar, I., Prestwich, Moore, S., Finch, L., Kotze, A. (2014-2015) Pre-operative behaviour change. NIHR CLAHRC YH Research Capability Funding. (£59,159).
• Kellar, I., Howell, S., Kotze, A., Lawton, R., McCooe, M. (2014) [PPI in the development of pre-operative behaviour change interventions for high-risk patients to reduce perioperative risk] RDSYH Public Involvement in Grant Applications Funding Award – CALL 17. NIHR Research Design Service - Yorkshire & The Humber. (£450).
• Demain, S.H., Foster, C., Latter, S., Hankins, M., Kennedy, A., Boger, E., Jones, F., Kellar, I. (2013-2015). What self-management outcomes matter most to patients, family care-givers, healthcare professionals and commissioners? Exploring consensus and difference. The Health Foundation. (£238,282/5%FTE).

Professional memberships

• UK Society for Behavioural Medicine (Exec committee member)
• British Sleep Society

Student education

I teach evidence synthesis on PGT modules (PATH & CDAD) within the School of Psychology. I also supervise 3^rd year, intercalating medic, and Master’s level projects.