Dr Heather May Morgan
Telephone

Dr Heather May Morgan
LLB (Hons), CertHE, MRes, FHEA, PhD, FRSA
Lecturer
- About
-
Postgraduate Education Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences
1.077 Polwarth Building, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
Biography
I am a multidisciplinary social scientist whose formal training spans law, French language, forensic medicine, philosophy, gender studies, social research, sociology, criminology and health services research. I was appointed as a Lecturer (Scholarship) within the University of Aberdeen’s Postgraduate Education Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences on 01 October 2017. I previously worked at the Chief Scientist Office-funded Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, from February 2012 to September 2017. I led several multidisciplinary collaborations before transitioning into health services research in 2012. I have external experience in the independent monitoring of prisons (Scottish Government, 2010-2013).
To date, I have individually or jointly secured research funding totalling more than £1.6m. I am lead author or co-author of over thirty peer-reviewed papers and two edited collections. I review for a number of high impact journals/publishers and have assessed grant applications for several national governments as well as major UK funders. I am co-creator of Aberdeen’s original, free-to-play, location-based, augmented reality game for iOS devices: [m]apping.
I have substantive research interests in digital health, methodological expertise in designing, leading and delivering qualitative and mixed methods studies in applied health sciences and a pedagogical research focus on authentic assessment, postgraduate training and employment, within and beyond universities. I welcome enquiries from potential PhD and project students who wish to work with me on any of these areas. I work closely with a range of community, government and industry partners to undertake and apply my research and facilitate student work placements.
Qualifications
- LLB (Hons) Law with Options in French Language and Forensic Medicine2005 - University of Aberdeen
- CertHE Gender Studies and Philosophy2006 - University of Aberdeen
- MRes Social Research2007 - University of Aberdeen
- FHEA Fellow of the Higher Education Academy2011 - Advance HE/HEA
- FRSA Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts2018 - Royal Society of Arts
- PhD Sociology2013 - University of Aberdeen
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
-
Employability and Skills Champion I sit on the University Education Committee's Employment and Entrepreneurship Committee as a representative for the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition.
I am a member of the Institute of Applied Health Sciences Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team.
- External Memberships
-
I am:
- Founder and administrator of the Digital Health mailing list <DIGITAL-HEALTH@JISCMAIL.AC.UK>
- Member of the Board: Open Data Institute, Aberdeen Node
- Member of the CERQual (DECIDE) Working Group
- Member of the Contact, Help, Advice and Information Network (CHAIN) ‘Telecare, telemedicine and teleconsulting’ group
- Member of the Contact, Help, Advice and Information Network (CHAIN) ‘Bio-technical and adaptive devices’ group
- Member of the Contact, Help, Advice and Information Network (CHAIN) ‘Use of social media’ group
- Member Digital Health and Care Institute
- Member of the EPSRC-funded BALANCE ‘Ways of Being in a Digital Age’/Digital Economies Network
- Member of Our Voice Citizens' Panel
- Member of the Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society
- Member of the Surveillance Studies Network
- Member of the UK Participatory Research Network (UKPRN)
- Reviewer for BMC Research Involvement and Engagement
- Reviewer for British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Reviewer for British Medical Journal Open
- Reviewer for Field Methods
- Reviewer for Health Sociology Review
- Reviewer for Healthcare Improvement Scotland
- Reviewer for International Journal of Drug Policy
- Reviewer for the Higher Education Academy
- Reviewer for Journal of Contemporary Poetics
- Reviewer for Philosophy and Technology
- Reviewer for SAGE Research Methods Cases
- Reviewer for Sociology
- Reviewer for Surveillance & Society
- Reviewer for Trials
- STEM Ambassador
Latest Publications
Developing strategies to address disparities in retention communication during the consent discussion: development of a behavioural intervention
TrialsContributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07268-2
How European Fans in Training (EuroFIT), a lifestyle change program for men delivered in football clubs, achieved its effect: a mixed methods process evaluation embedded in a randomised controlled trial
BMC Public Health, vol. 23, 526Contributions to Journals: ArticlesUser Experiences of a Digital Intervention to Support Total-Skin-Self-Examination by Melanoma Survivors: Nested Qualitative Evaluation Embedded in a Randomized Controlled Trial
JMIR Dermatology, vol. 6, e39544Contributions to Journals: ArticlesFactors influencing the implementation of the EuroFIT lifestyle change program in professional football clubs in Europe: a qualitative study in four European countries
Translational Behavioral Medicine, ibac100Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibac100
A qualitative process evaluation within a clinical trial that used healthcare technologies for children with asthma: insights and implications
PloS ONE, vol. 18, no. 1, 0280086Contributions to Journals: Articles
Prizes and Awards
I was named 'Most Accessible Lecturer (Champion for Students with Disabilities)' in the Aberdeen University Student's Association and University of Aberdeen Awards for Excellence in 2019 and nominated 'Most Inspiring' in 2019 and 'Funniest Lecturer' in 2020.
I am active in public engagement with research and a four-time Principal’s Prizes for Public Engagement with Research winner (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018).
I was selected as a participant of the prestigious Scottish Crucible leadership and development programme in 2015.
- Research
-
Research Overview
I specialise in research into the use of (digital) technologies to generate, document, analyse and respond to information about human biomarkers and behaviours, by individuals and organisations. I research how the addition or integration of such technologies into everyday living is viewed and experienced, the ways in which they impact on social life at a number of levels (e.g. personal, public, political, economic) and their implications, including unintended consequences.
I primarily use qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis, often involving ethnographic, narrative and case study methods, in a range of settings. I also lead and/or contribute to mixed methods studies and have: undertaken systematic reviews (mixed methods and critical interpretive syntheses); utilised and developed behaviour change taxonomies; co-designed and co-analysed two large scale surveys and a discrete choice experiment; and managed feasibility and intervention (randomised controlled trial) studies.
My pedagogical research explores authentic assessment, postgraduate training, career development and employability.
I welcome enquiries from potential PhD or project student who wish to work with her me on any of these areas.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Applied Health Sciences, Education.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Anthropology
Education
Accepting PhDsNutrition and Health
Philosophy
Sociology
Research Specialisms
- Higher Education
- Health and Social Care
- Higher Education Teaching
- Management and Organisation of Education
- Research Skills
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Current Research
My current substantive work explores people's uses, experiences and views of various health technologies within and independently of health and social care services (e.g. wristwatch ECGs, smartwatches for running; ambulance drones; AI in the NHS; GPS in elite football; apps for resistance training; nutrition tracking; medical education simulation; fertility tracking; sleep hygiene; athletes’ use of performance apps; apps/wearables for weight loss; video-delivery of exercise programmes in sheltered housing); electronic records in ambulances (ERA); post-intensive care rehabilitation: an evaluation of the scaling up of the InS:PIRE programme; RAACENO: the use of devices to inform prevention of childhood asthma attacks; and blockchain technology’s potential application for health services and research.
My pedagogical research considers authentic assessment in both University and work-based learning, assessment and feedback processes, postgraduate student support and mentoring and the development of graduate attributes through work-based placements at postgraduate level.
My previous work looked at: European Fans in Training (EuroFIT): working with professional football clubs to help men become more active and less sedentary; self-management of long-term health conditions (including using health self-monitoring technologies); surveillance interventions for healthy behaviours in pregnancy (particularly around smoking, including the use of home indoor air quality monitoring and financial incentives contingent on carbon monoxide exhalation monitoring); and gender/deviance in police CCTV operations.
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Applied Health Sciences.
Co-supervisor: Taylor Coffey's PhD research on how theoretical/behavioural approaches can be used in the context of improvement to clinical trials, 2019-
Co-supervisor: Christopher Allen's PhD research, 2020-
Co-supervisor: Alan White's PhD research, 2021-
Funding and Grants
Dates
Award holder(s)
Funding body
Title
Value
2019-
2021Co-applicant (PI:
David Fitzpatrick,
University of
Stirling)Chief Scientist
Office
HIPS/19/28Creating safe
handover systems for
the pre-hospital
environment£269,963.00 2019-
2020Co-applicant (PI:
Marjorie Johnston,
University of
Aberdeen)Wellcome Trust
Institutional
Strategic
Support Fund
Public
Engagement
FundEngaging with he
Children of the 1950s
study: telling the story
of Aberdeen (talks,
sound, food)£9,002.00 2019 Personal Award
Aberdeen University Students’ Union and University of Aberdeen Excellence in Teaching Awards Winner: Most Accessible Lecturer (Champion for Students with Disabilities) £500.00 for activity 2019 Co-applicant (PI:
Zoe Skea,
University of
Aberdeen)NHS Grampian R&D
Endowments
Research GrantBaby boxes and parental capabilities:
developing a measure
of social outcomes£10,427.00 2019
Co-applicant (PI:
Amudha Poobalan,
University of
Aberdeen)Learning and Teaching
Enhancement
Programme,
University of
AberdeenEnhancing postgraduate learning
and experience:
Evaluation of the
SUCCESS PLUS
programme (SociocUltural
Coaching for
Careers andEmployability to
Support Success:
Pathways for Life
Underpinning
Success)£1,958.00 14 September 2018
Personal award
Principal's Prize, University of Aberdeen
Principal’s Prize for Public Engagement with Research 2018, Winner: Senior Category.
£400.00 + £400.00 for activity
2017-2020
Co-applicant (PI: Steve Turner, University of Aberdeen)
NIHR/EME
Research study: Reducing asthma attacks in children using exhaled nitric oxide as a biomarker to inform treatment strategy – a randomised trial (RAACENO).
£1,534,562.32
2016-2018
Co-convenor (with Beverley Searle, University of Dundee)
Scottish Alliance for Geoscience, Environment and Society (SAGES)
Funds to establish ‘Pollinating Wellbeing’ Forum.
£5,440.00
02 August 2017
Personal award
Principal’s Prize, University of Aberdeen
Principal’s Prize for Public Engagement with Research 2017, Outstanding Achievement: Early Career Category.
£200.00
July 2017
Co-PI (with Ed Welch and Pete Stollery, University of Aberdeen, and Andrew Sage, Andrew Sage Arts and Entertainment)
Aberdeen Humanities Fund/Development Trust: Cities of Ghosts
For the [M]apping knowledge exchange and commercialisation project.
£740.00
June 2017
Lead applicant, group award
Marie Curie Alumni Association, Scotland Chapter
Funds to support HSRU public engagement activity in late 2017.
£198.80
May 2017
Lead applicant, group award
Public Engagement with Research Unit, University of Aberdeen – Enabling Award
Funds to support HSRU public engagement activity at May Festival 2017.
£424.60
May 2017
Co-PI (with Ed Welch and Pete Stollery, University of Aberdeen, and Andrew Sage, Andrew Sage Arts and Entertainment)
Sport Aberdeen/Aberdeen City Council using funds from The Heritage Lottery Fund
For the [M]apping knowledge exchange and commercialisation project. To work with Sport Aberdeen to co-create a version of our app for the March Stones initiative over summer 2017.
£1800.00
May 2017
Personal Award
Institute for Medical Education, University of Aberdeen
Funded summer intern position. To support exploration of digital health medical education in the UK.
£1500.00
February 2017
Personal award
Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen
Staff Development Budget. To attend and present at a conference.
£300.00
January 2017
Co-PI (with Ed Welch and Pete Stollery, University of Aberdeen, and Andrew Sage, Andrew Sage Arts and Entertainment)
sound festival
For the [m]apping knowledge exchange and commercialisation project in the School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen to continue development of the [m]apping mobile application and link through to the Aberdeen soundsites project.
£2,219.00
February-July 2016
Co-PI (with Ed Welch and Pete Stollery, University of Aberdeen, and Andrew Sage, Andrew Sage Arts and Entertainment)
Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation award, University of Aberdeen
‘From GEOrge Washington Wilson to GEOtagging: Mapping and Apping the city.’ Award of funds to create a history, health, sonic, visual and tourism app, building on and combining our programme of recent public engagement with research activities: [m]apping.
£7,923.00
29 May 2016
Personal award
Principal’s Prize, University of Aberdeen
Principal’s Prize for Public Engagement with Research 2016, Winner: Early Career Category.
£400.00 + £400.00 for activity
10-13 May 2016
Co-PI (with Becky Brown, University of Aberdeen and Luna Dolezal, University of Durham)
Fondation Brocher, Switzerland
Funds to host residential workshop entitled: ‘Vice and Virtue: the Rise of Self-Tracking Technologies and the Moralising of Health Behaviours’, Brocher Foundation, Hermance, Switzerland.
6,000.00 SWISS FRANCS
01 August 2015 – 31 January 2016
PI
Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund, Fellowship Development Award, University of Aberdeen
Research study: ‘Using self-administered health monitoring technologies to support self-management of long-term conditions: a qualitative evidence synthesis.’
£24,894.00
October 2015
Personal award
Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen
Staff Development Budget. To attend and present at a conference.
£200.00
31 May 2015
Personal award
Principal’s Prize, University of Aberdeen
Principal’s Prize for Public Engagement with Research 2015, Outstanding Achievement: Early Career Category.
£200.00
30-31 May 2015
Personal award
Scottish Government
Funds to allow 'Take it right outside' equipment (pop up house, augmented reality kit and one staff member) to be brought to Aberdeen for May Festival event.
£669.00
June 2012
Co-PI (with Dr Suzanne Young of SCCJR)
The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) Capacity Building Grants Scheme
Funds to facilitate a workshop for academics and practitioners entitled: 'Investigating the Role of Gender in Police Decision Making.'
£804.00
2008, 2009, 2011
PI
Roberts Fund, University of Aberdeen
Funds to support College of Arts and Social Sciences Annual Postgraduate Conference, Moving Forward.
£1,750.00
2008, 2009, 2011
PI
College of Arts and Social Sciences and constituent Schools, University of Aberdeen
Funds to support College of Arts and Social Sciences Annual Postgraduate Conference, Moving Forward.
£12,400.00
March 2010
Personal award
ESRC/University of Durham.
Funds to attend 'Writing Across Boundaries' residential Researcher Development Workshop.
£500.00
October 2007 – September 2010
Personal award
College of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Aberdeen
Awarded a fees-only PhD studentship.
£10,800.00
July 2009
Personal award
Principal's Small Grants Fund, University of Aberdeen
Awarded funds to visit the Center for Gender Studies, University of Chicago, to present at their staff/student seminar series, and to visit the Chicago Police Department in order to carry out research fieldwork.
£1,455.88
July 2009
Co-PI (with Lindsay Milligan, University of Aberdeen)
Subject Centre for History, Classics and Archaeology, Higher Education Academy
Awarded a sum to provide several home and overseas travel bursaries for delegates of the College of Arts and Social Sciences Annual Postgraduate Conference, Moving Forward.
£550.00
July 2009
Co-PI (with Lindsay Milligan, University of Aberdeen)
Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, Higher Education Academy
Awarded a sum to provide several home and overseas travel bursaries for delegates of the College of Arts and Social Sciences Annual Postgraduate Conference, Moving Forward.
£550.00
- Teaching
-
Courses
Teaching Responsibilities
I contribute to the training, supervision and assessment of BSc, MSc and PhD students across a range of disciplines’ programmes at the University of Aberdeen. I previously taught on University of Aberdeen undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Gender Studies, Sociology and Health Studies in the School of Social Science (2007-2012) and social aspects of health in the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition (since 2009), as well as on the interdisciplinary Sixth Century Course in Sustainable International Development (2011).
Non-course Teaching Responsibilities
I have also taught on courses for staff through the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Academic Development and contribute teaching for Postgraduate Research students through the Graduate School's programme of workshops.
- Publications
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Developing strategies to address disparities in retention communication during the consent discussion: development of a behavioural intervention
TrialsContributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07268-2
How European Fans in Training (EuroFIT), a lifestyle change program for men delivered in football clubs, achieved its effect: a mixed methods process evaluation embedded in a randomised controlled trial
BMC Public Health, vol. 23, 526Contributions to Journals: ArticlesUser Experiences of a Digital Intervention to Support Total-Skin-Self-Examination by Melanoma Survivors: Nested Qualitative Evaluation Embedded in a Randomized Controlled Trial
JMIR Dermatology, vol. 6, e39544Contributions to Journals: ArticlesFactors influencing the implementation of the EuroFIT lifestyle change program in professional football clubs in Europe: a qualitative study in four European countries
Translational Behavioral Medicine, ibac100Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibac100
A qualitative process evaluation within a clinical trial that used healthcare technologies for children with asthma: insights and implications
PloS ONE, vol. 18, no. 1, 0280086Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe Baby Box Scheme in Scotland: A Study of Public Attitudes and Social Value
Health Expectations, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 3307-3314Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13639
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/19442/2/Skea_etal_HE_The_Baby_Box_VoR.pdf
What influences communication about retention in randomised trials: a multi-trial, theory-based analysis exploring trial staff perspectives
BMC Medical Research Methodology, vol. 22, 231Contributions to Journals: ArticlesDeveloping research skills with weekly online seminars over the summer
Europhysiology 2022Contributions to Journals: AbstractsFemale Genital Mutilation (FGM) education – a collaborative approach to FutureLearn Course Development for medics and multisector practitioners
GASOC Conference 2021, pp. 232Contributions to Journals: Abstracts- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00494755221097543
Reducing asthma attacks in children using exhaled nitric oxide (RAACENO) as a biomarker to inform treatment strategy: a multicentre, parallel, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial
The Lancet. Respiratory medicine, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 584-592Contributions to Journals: Articles