Dr Clare Cooper

Current Research

Although primarily in a teaching role, Dr. Clare Cooper continues to develop her research interests. She has recently been involved in research exploring barriers to step-care delivery of psychological care in stroke wards, in collaboration with colleagues at NHS Grampian. Additionally, she is conducting early-stage research investigating barriers to engaging in physical activity for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. This research builds on Dr. Cooper’s broader work, which examines the role of emotion and other barriers to engaging in health behaviors, both in clinical populations and non-clinical groups. Through this research, she aims to improve understanding and inform interventions that promote better health outcomes.

Teaching Responsibilities

Dr. Clare Cooper is a BPS Chartered Psychologist and HCPC Registered Health Psychologist, with extensive experience in the field of health psychology. She has been a lecturer in the Health Psychology group since 2012 and played a key role in the development and initial accreditation of the MSc Health Psychology programme through the British Psychological Society (BPS). Dr. Cooper currently serves as the Deputy Programme Coordinator for the MSc Health Psychology.

Her teaching responsibilities include delivering the module PU5518, Health Professional Behaviour, and supervising students in PU5029 Literature Review and PU5909 Health Psychology Research Project. Additionally, Dr. Cooper has marking responsibilities across all courses within the MSc programme, contributing to the academic development of students pursuing careers in health psychology. She is also the course co-ordinator on ME33MP, introducing medical students to the fundamentals of behaviour change. 

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

Dr. Clare Cooper also plays a key role in supporting students outside of the classroom. She provides personal tutoring for MSc Health Psychology students, offering guidance and mentorship throughout their academic journey. In addition to her individual tutoring responsibilities, Dr. Cooper coordinates the personal tutoring programme for the entire MSc cohort, ensuring students receive the support they need for both their academic and personal development, an integral part of the overall student experience within the programme.