Dr Daniel Powell

Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology and MSc Health Psychology Programme Director.

I joined the Aberdeen Health Psychology Group in 2014, having completed my PhD at the University of Southampton, and have been here ever since. I teach across a range of postgraduate courses, and became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2019. 

My research typically uses intensive longitudinal methods (ecological momentary assessment) to investigate contextual and temporal influences on stress and fatigue, clinical symptoms, and self-regulation. I lead our Stress and Health Research Theme and convene our monthly Health Psychology workshops, which are to support all researchers, practitioners, and students with an interest in health psychology and behaviour change.

I currently supervise five PhD students: Mona Maier, Marina Maciver, Dr Leia Kane, Frank You, and Heidi Kane.

I am a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS), and full member of the BPS Division of Health Psychology (DHP). I am also a member of the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS), UK Society for Behavioural Medicine (UKSBM), and BPS Division of Academics, Researchers & Teachers in Psychology.

Prizes and Awards

• Stan Maes Early Career Award, European Health Psychology Society, 2019
• Rosemary Anne Price Student Award, MS Society, 2013

Research Overview

My primary expertise is in methods that facilitate research in everyday life, using real-time assessments (i.e. ecological momentary assessment; EMA) to study changing phenomena within individuals.

My research interests are broadly within Health Psychology, with a particular focus on

• Stress and psychoneuroendocrinology
• Self-regulatory fatigue and decision fatigue
• Work, effort, and reward
• Within-person processes in health and illness

I have extensive experience with interdisciplinary working and have ongoing collaborations with researchers in health services, health economics, labour economics, nutrition, primary care, emergency medicine, bioengineering, and epidemiology. 

I am a core member of the Aberdeen Health Psychology Group and an interdisciplinary member of the Aberdeen Centre for Labour Market Research.

I am always keen to hear from potential collaborators, particularly in relation to using EMA methods, or the examination of fatigue or stress.

Teaching Responsibilities

I am the Programme Director of the MSc Health Psychology.

I also coordinate the following courses:

• PU5053 - Stress, Personality & Health 

and teach content in the following courses:

• PU5053 - Stress, Personality & Health
• PU5022 - Health Behaviour & Behaviour Change
• PU5029 - Health Psychology Research Review
• PU5054 - Advanced Quantitative Methods & Analysis for Psychology
• PU5517 - Illness, Disability & Interactions with Healthcare
• PS4062 - Lab to Life

I supervise postgraduate taught students in PU5909 - Health Psychology Research Projects. My PhD student supervision is detailed in the Research tab.

I'm open to supervising one Medical Humanities Project (ME33A2) each year - do contact me if interested.

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

Prof Gertraud (Turu) Stadler and I established a Summer School in Intensive Longitudinal Methods in 2018, which is held annually. The 2025 Summer School will be held in Berlin, Germany in August.