Dr Sebastian Potthoff

Key areas of expertise

• Implementation science – applying and advancing theory in health and care
• Behavioural science – habit and routines in clinical practice
• Tailored implementation – stakeholder engagement and development of practical, theory-informed tools (e.g. I-STEM, ItFits)

Current projects include:

ESCALATER – Evaluating speech, communication, and language support at the 2–2½ year Healthy Child review (NIHR Policy Research Programme, 2025–2027)

TRAITS Hospital to Home – Alcohol interventions across care pathways (Helse Vest, Western Norway Regional Health Authority, 2025–2027)

IDEAS Centre – Interdisciplinary evaluation of complex innovations in health and social care (NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research, 2024–2030)

SilverCloud Target Trials – Real-world studies of Amwell’s SilverCloud Digital Enabled Therapies, NIHR Invention for Innovation, 2024–2027)

Some key completed projects:

Jay’s Study – Tailored implementation of personalised safety planning for self-harm and suicidality (NIHR Research for Patient Benefit, 2024–2026). Key outputs: Jay’s personalised safety planning toolkit: A guide to support meaningful safety planning for self-harm and suicide.

Carers experience of personalised hospital discharge project (Voluntary Organisations Network North East, VONNE, 2022–2023). Key outputs: A co-produced toolkit to support personalised hospital discharge by recognising and involving carers.

ImpleMentAll – Towards evidence-based tailored implementation strategies for eHealth. (European Commission H2020, 2017–2021). Key outputs: ItFits-toolkit for self-guided tailored implementation strategies and I-STEM Model and toolkit for stakeholder engagement for implementation.

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Exploring barriers and facilitators to healthcare professional implementation of a stroke physical activity behaviour change intervention to inform targeted strategies: a qualitative study, Moore, S., Potthoff, S., Folorunsho, J., Calder, J. 25 Mar 2026, In: Disability and Rehabilitation
• Patient and clinician perspectives on the management of obesity in kidney failure prior to kidney transplantation: a mixed-methods systematic review, Oganesova, Z., MacLaughlin, H., McCafferty, K., Potthoff, S., Greenwood, S., Vickerstaff, V., Batterham, R., Afuwape, S., Motallebzadeh, R., Brown, A. 1 Jan 2026, In: EClinicalMedicine
• Potential Applications of Realist Methodologies to Implementation Science Research, Mukumbang, F., Argüelles Bullón, A., McClelland, R., Potthoff, S., Weiner, B., Dalkin, S. 3 Mar 2026, In: International Journal of Qualitative Methods
• Using behaviour change science in changing motivational interaction behaviours: Stepwise development and acceptability study of the MotiStyleSport intervention, Palsola, M., Renko, E., Puolamäki, M., Absetz, P., Haerens, L., Lintunen, T., Potthoff, S., Saurio, K., Hankonen, N. 8 Mar 2026
• #2652 How are people living with obesity and kidney failure supported to lose weight prior to kidney transplantation?: a national survey of kidney healthcare providers in the United Kingdom, Brown, A., McCafferty, K., Potthoff, S., MacLaughlin, H., Greenwood, S., Thomas, R., Vickerstaff, V., Batterham, R., Motallebzadeh, R. Oct 2025, In: Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation
• CONsensus-based Process evaluation reporting guideline for public HEalth intervention Studies (CONPHES) conducted alongside an effectiveness trial: An e-Delphi study, Van Nassau, F., Cillekens, B., Jelsma, J., Vis, C., Mokkink, L., Treweek, S., Van Der Ploeg, H., Anema, J., Baker, G., Bakker, F., Baranowski, T., Boendermaker, L., Burke, A., Chalkley, A., Chambers, D., Drozd, F., Edney, S., Engell, T., Finch, T., Fynn, J., Goense, P., Grant, A., Guthrie, B., Hannes, K., Hipple Walters, B., Hoffmann, T., Hulscher, M., Jones, A., Kelly, P., Koorts, H., Kwak, L., Maar, M., Maher, C., Mbuagbaw, L., McCleary, N., McHugh, S., Milton, K., Möhler, R., Neher, M., O'Cathain, A., Paulsen, M., Pawson, R., Pinnock, H., Potthoff, S., Powell, B., Rapley, T., Rosenkranz, R., Von Thiele Schwarz, U., Massey-Swindle, T., Thabane, L. 19 Dec 2025, In: BMJ Open
• Co-Producing Personalised Discharge Planning: Developing a Toolkit to Improve Caregiver Involvement in Hospital Transitions, McEwan, K., Sanders, T., Carr, S., Van der Graaf, P., Jones, S., Aquino, M., Hogg, M., Hameed, R., Lai, F., Cooper, C., Potthoff, S. 1 Dec 2025, In: Health Expectations : an International Journal of Public Participation in Health Care and Health Policy
• Implementing pragmatic case finding to address alcohol use in general practice: a mixed methods feasibility study, Potthoff, S., Brendryen, H., Bosnic, H., Bhardwaj-Gosling, R., Riis Idena, K., Njå, A., O'Donnell, A., Lid, T. 19 Dec 2025, In: Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
• Tailored implementation of a behaviour change intervention for post-stroke physical activity: A mixed-methods feasibility study, Moore, S., Calder, J., Potthoff, S. 1 Dec 2025, In: Clinical Rehabilitation
• Translational framework for implementation evaluation and research: implementation strategies derived from normalization process theory, May, C., Hillis, A., Albers, B., Desveaux, L., Gilbert, A., Girling, M., Kislov, R., MacFarlane, A., Mair, F., Potthoff, S., Rapley, T., Finch, T. 27 Jul 2025, In: Implementation Science

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Developing an NIHR Health and Social care Delivery Research (HSDR) national evaluation team: InterDisciplinary Evaluation of complex innovations in heAlth and Social care (IDEAS) Centre, Bate, A. (Principal Investigator), Potthoff, S. (Co Investigator), National Institute for Health Research, 01/02/25 - 31/01/30, £3,028,752.00
• Jay’s study: Developing tailored implementation of a personalised safety planning toolkit for adults experiencing self-harm and suicidality, Clibbens, N. (Principal Investigator), Potthoff, S. (Co Investigator), National Institute for Health Research, 01/09/24 - 02/03/26, £25,582.00
• Alcohol and Drug Research - Contract Phase 2, Potthoff, S. (Principal Investigator), Stavanger University Hospital, 03/06/24 - 30/05/25, £27,241.00

Leah Buhrmann Navigating implementation context in integrated health and social care: co-design of a toolkit for implementation practitioners Start Date: 01/05/2021 End Date: 29/11/2025

Sebastian is an experienced supervisor of PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. He has supervised three PhD students to a timely successful completion in a broad range of topics in applied health research.

Current postgraduate supervision:

Amy Hodgkinson – Enhancing diabetes behaviour change interventions in the third sector (Northumbria RDF studentship)

Michealla Lincoln – Training and supervision to support delivery of parent-led CBT for children, young people, and families (mixed methods study)

Past postgraduate supervision:

Leah Bührmann – Co-developing tools to support knowledge mobilisation and implementation in integrated health and social care systems (NIHR ARC NENC studentship)

Claire Leader – Policy and practice in supporting wellbeing among NHS nurses and midwives 

• Education Certificate January 12 2021
• Psychology PhD November 24 2017
• Psychology MRes January 09 2013
• Psychology BA August 31 2010
• Stage 2 Qualification in Health Psychology, British Psychological Society CPsychol 2015

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Sebastian is a Director of Open Digital Health an initiative to accelerate the implementation and evaluation of open digital health tools.
• Sebastian is a Head Editor of Practical Health Psychology, a blog about cutting edge Health Psychology and how to apply it in practice. Our aim is to translate rigorous and peer reviewed research to simple and clear blog posts, which are translated into 30 languages.