Dr Michael Smith

Associate Professor

Department: Psychology

Dr Michael Smith completed his PhD in Psychobiology at the University of Western Australia in 2009, before undertaking postdoctoral work at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and Curtin University in Perth Australia. Michael then joined the Department of Psychology at Northumbria University in 2010. He is currently the Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange for the Department of Psychology, Programme Leader of the MRes Psychology and Lead of the Psychobiology of Stress and Wellbeing Research Group. Michael leads undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Health Psychology, and contributes to research supervision of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students. He is also Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Medical School at the University of Western Australia.

Michael’s current research programmes relate to the investigation of i) psychological functioning in Type 2 diabetes, ii) psychosocial predictors of sexual health, and iii) the interplay between personality, stress and physical health. More specifically, Michael is currently leading a programme of research (together with Professor Mark Wetherell) which is exploring the therapeutic benefits of expressive writing. His research employs both subjective (e.g. self-report) and objective (e.g. beat-to-beat cardiovascular reactivity and bioassay techniques) markers of health.

Michael is actively involved in the activities of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and is currently a member of the BPS Research Board and the BPS Psychobiology Section Committee.

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Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Facilitators and barriers to engaging in expressive writing among health and social care professionals, Smith, M., Hoult, L., Rippon, D., O'Brien, N., Branley-Bell, D., Byrne-Davis, L., Collins, C., Gallagher, S., Kinman, G., Mark, A., O'Connor, D., Vedhara, K., Wetherell, M. 28 Oct 2024
Friendships, loneliness and psychological wellbeing in older adults: a limit to the benefit of the number of friends, Thompson, A., Smith, M., McNeill, A., Pollet, T. 1 May 2024, In: Ageing & Society
The Moderating Role of Dietary Quality and Dietary Fibre Intake on the Mood Effects of Positive Expressive Writing: A Pilot Study, Levová, L., Smith, M. 27 Aug 2024, In: Nutrients
Effects of chewing gum on nitric oxide metabolism, markers of cardiovascular health and neurocognitive performance after a nitrate-rich meal, Ong, S., Bondonno, N., Downey, L., Scholey, A., Smith, M., Stough, C., Blekkenhorst, L., Woodman, R., Croft, K., Hodgson, J., Bondonno, C. 17 Feb 2022, In: Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Examining the role of employability as a mediator in the relationship between psychological capital and objective career success amongst occupational psychology professionals, Elsey, V., Van der Heijden, B., Smith, M., Moss, M. 14 Dec 2022, In: Frontiers in Psychology
Positive expressive writing as a tool for alleviating burnout and enhancing wellbeing in teachers and other full-time workers, Round, E., Wetherell, M., Elsey, V., Smith, M. 31 Dec 2022, In: Cogent Psychology
Using a Realist approach in understanding Youth Offending Service delivery requirements for young people who offend with speech, language and communication needs in England., Redgate, S., Dyer, W., Smith, M. 1 Nov 2022, In: Discover Social Science and Health
Written benefit finding for improving psychological health during the Covid-19 pandemic first wave lockdown, Hansen, S., Wetherell, M., Smith, M. 3 Oct 2022, In: Psychology & Health
Are context-specific measures of positive emotion regulation more predictive of mania risk and mood symptoms than trait measures?, McGrogan, C., Dodd, A., Smith, M. 1 Sep 2021, In: Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
Egocentric network characteristics of persons with Type 1 Diabetes and their relationships to perceived social support and well-being, Cheyne, T., Smith, M., Pollet, T. 2021, In: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine

PGR Supervision

Sarah Allen An investigation into the psychobiological mechanisms underpinning the relationship between Type D personality and physical health complaints in the general population Start Date: 01/10/2014 End Date: 26/03/2018
Sarah Chalhoub Assessing the impact of psychological risk to women experiencing sexual changes during menopause Start Date: 21/12/2021
Lauren Hoult Identifying the optimal conditions for enhancing the efficacy of positive writing interventions to improve wellbeing Start Date: 01/10/2020 End Date: 17/07/2024
Nicola Jones Glucoregulation, Memory and the Ageing Brain: Exploring the Mechanisms Start Date: 01/02/2011 End Date: 23/04/2015

Qualifications

Psychology (Biology) PhD March 25 2010
Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) British Psychological Society (BPS) 2013

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