I am a Senior Research Methodologist with expertise in Developmental Health Psychology. My research focuses on infants, children, young people and families, specifically: 

• understanding and explaining physical and mental health 
• developing and evaluating complex interventions to improve mental and physical health 
• research methodology for studies with these populations

Research: I have worked on research projects with typically and non-typically developing young people and their families from infancy through to adolescence across a variety of topic areas including obesity, physical activity, breastfeeding, and low mood.

I have experience in longitudinal studies, feasibility and pilot studies, and cluster randomised controlled trials. I have worked in large, multidisciplinary teams and on projects from a variety of different funders (ESRC, EPSRC, MRC-NPRI).

I have training in both qualitative and quantitative techniques. As Senior Research Methodologist for the Research Design Service North East North Cumbria I support a wide range of researchers to develop high quality funding applications. 

Collaborations: I collaborate with a variety of research teams within Newcastle and across the UK on topics relating to developmental health psychology: including academic colleagues in: Newcastle and Cardiff (Repetitive behaviours in young children); Newcastle and Bradford (Children's active travel); York (Behavioural activation for young people); Swansea (Breastfeeding and parenting in early infancy).

I am also a member of the international Attachment Synthesis Collaboration (Intergenerational transmission of attachment).

To ensure impact I also work with professionals from a variety of backgrounds including Public Health practitioners and consultants and AHPs in local NHS Trusts.  

Engagement: In my role as the first Fellow of the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine (UKSBM) I promoted knowledge exchange, public engagement, and political advocacy in relation to behavioural medicine in the UK. I also served as UKSBM Web and Communications Officer for 3 years, worked as social media officer for the Newcastle Health Psychology Group, and led Comms the Research Design Service North East North Cumbria. 

I also established the collaborative Methodology Matters Blog which aims to create discussions about methodology, research and funding. 

Public and Patient Involvement: I am passionate about involving children, young people and their families in research that will affect them.

Associate Editor: BMJ Paediatrics Open 

Impact: Impact Case Study Support Officer, Newcastle University

My research focuses on infants, children, young people and families, specifically: 

• understanding and explaining physical and mental health 
• developing and evaluating complex interventions to improve mental and physical health 
• research methodology for studies with these populations

Developing and evaluating complex interventions to improve mental and physical health 

MapMe study: Can embedding the MapMe intervention, a tool to improve parental acknowledgement and understanding of childhood overweight and obesity, in the National Child Measurement Programme lead to improved child weight outcomes at one year? Led by Professor Ashley Adamson. Funded by NIHR Public Health Research.

Sam Ginja. PhD student supervised to completion. Development and Feasibility of an intervention to promote active travel to school. 

4&UPP study: How can we help parents recognise unhealthy body weight in their children? Led by Professor Ashley Adamson. Funded as part of the National Prevention Research Initiative (NPRI) Medical Research Council (MRC). 

BODY and mind Study: Behavioural activation for Obesity and Depression in Youth. Led by Dr Arnott. Funded by Health Innovation Education Cluster North East.

Understanding and explaining physical and mental health

Understanding early life determinants of life course multimorbidity. Led by Dr Niina Kolehmainen. Funded by MRC Multimorbidity Consolidator Award.

Collaboration on Attachment Transmission Synthesis Group member.

Rosie Baker. Masters in Public Health student supervised to completion. A multiple methods study of healthcare professionals perspectives on breastfeeding

Rachel Snodgrass. DClinPsych student - current. Exploring caregivers’ experience of transitioning responsibility for treatment adherence to young people engaged in anticoagulant therapy

Laura Cutler PhD: PhD student supervised to completion. Parental perceptions of their child's weight status and assessment of their child's Health Related Quality of Life.

Kay Rooney. DClinPsych student supervised to completion. Exploring adherence to anticoagulant therapy, from the patient's experience, using qualitative research methods.  

Ruth Struthers. DClinPsych student supervised to completion. Exploring the experiences and illness perceptions of adolescents with chronic health conditions.

Health Survey for England 2007: investigating the relationship between obesity and mental health in children and adolescents. 

The development of repetitive behaviours in young children. Led by Professor Leekam. Funded by ESRC.

Internal Working Models and Young Children's Social-Emotional Development. Led by Dr Meins. Funded by ESRC.

Bridging The Transmission Gap in Attachment: The Role of Mind-Mindedness in Mothers and Fathers. PhD thesis.

Research Methods for Studies Involving infants, children, young people and families

1. Vic Harbottle. NIHR PCAF. Child Outcomes - CHIMES project.

I have successfully co-supervised 2 PhD students and 2 Doctorate in Cinical Psychology students to completion on topics across children and young people's health and wellbeing. I am happy to be contacted by prospective PhD students interested in developmental health psychology topics. 

I have previously successfully co-supervised 2 Psychology MSc students on topics in relation to early years development and 2 Public Health and Health Services Research MSc students. 

I am currently supervising an NIHR PCAF and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology student. 

I also have experience in teaching at both undergraduate and post-graduate level. I currently contribute towards Health Psychology teaching on the Master of Public Health programme and Qualitative Research Methods on the Masters of Pharmacy programme.

• Ginja S, Arnott B, Araujo-Soares V, Namdeo A, McColl E. Process evaluation of a pilot study to test the feasibility of an incentive scheme to increase active travel to school. Journal of Transport and Health 2019, 15, 100663.
• Ginja S, Arnott B, Namdeo A, McColl E. Understanding active school travel through the Behavioural Ecological Model. Health Psychology Review 2018, 12(1), 58-74.
• Ginja S, Arnott B, Araujo-Soares V, Namdeo A, McColl E. Feasibility of an incentive scheme to promote active travel to school: a pilot cluster randomised trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2017, 3, 57.
• Ahern SM, Arnott B, Chatterton T, de Nazelle A, Kellar I, McEachan RRC. Understanding parents' school travel choices: A qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework. Journal of Transport & Health 2017, 4, 278-293.
• Rehackova L, Arnott B, Araujo-Soares V, Adamson AJ, Taylor R, Sniehotta FF. Efficacy and acceptability of very low energy diets in overweight and obese people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with meta-analyses. Diabetic Medicine 2016, 33(5), 580-591.
• Ginja S, Arnott B, Araujo-Soares V, Namdeo A, McColl E. Development of an intervention to promote active school travel. In: 11th UKSBM Annual Scientific Conference. 2015, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
• Ginja S, Arnott B, Araujo-Soares V, Namdeo A, McColl E. Process evaluation of the RIGHT TRACKS study: a feasibility test of an incentive scheme to promote active travel to school. In: 11th UKSBM Annual Scientific Conference. 2015, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
• Ginja S, Arnott B, Araujo-Soares V, Namdeo A, McColl E. The RIGHT TRACKS study – feasibility of a lottery-based incentive scheme to promote active travel to school. In: 11th UKSBM Annual Scientific Conference. 2015, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
• Brown A, Arnott B. Breastfeeding Duration and Early Parenting Behaviour: The Importance of an Infant-Led, Responsive Style. PLoS One 2014, 9(2), e83893.
• Arnott B, Rehackova L, Errington L, Sniehotta FF, Roberts J, Araujo-Soares V. Efficacy of behavioural interventions for transport behaviour change: systematic review, meta-analysis and intervention coding. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2014, 11, 133.
• Rehackova L, Arnott B, Adamson A, Araujo-Soares V, Sniehotta FF. Acceptability of very low energy diets in type 2 diabetic individuals: A systematic review. In: “Well-being, Quality of Life and Caregiving” : 27th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society. 2013, Bordeaux, France: Taylor & Francis.
• Arnott B, Brown A. An Exploration of Parenting Behaviours and Attitudes During Early Infancy: Association with Maternal and Infant Characteristics. Infant and Child Development 2013, 22(4), 349-361.
• Arnott B, Rehackova L, Errington L, Sniehotta F, Roberts J, Araujo-Soares V. Efficacy of Behavioural Interventions for Transport Behaviour Change: A Systematic Review with Narrative Moderator Analyses. In: “Well-being, Quality of Life and Caregiving” : 27th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society. 2013, Bordeaux, France: Routledge.
• Meins E, Fernyhough C, Arnott B, Leekam SR, de Rosnay M. Mind-Mindedness and Theory of Mind: Mediating Roles of Language and Perspectival Symbolic Play. Child Development 2013, 84(5), 1777-1790.
• Meins E, Fernyhough C, deRosnay M, Arnott B, Leekam S, Turner M. Mind-Mindedness as a Multidimensional Construct: Appropriate and Nonattuned Mind-Related Comments Independently Predict Infant–Mother Attachment in a Socially Diverse Sample. Infancy 2012, 17(4), 393-415.
• Meins E, Fernyhough C, Arnott B, Vittorini L, Turner M, Leekam S, Parkinson K. Individual Differences in Infants’ Joint Attention Behaviors with Mother and a New Social Partner. Infancy 2011, 16(6), 587-610.
• Tiffin P, Arnott B, Moore H, Summerbell C. Modelling the relationship between obesity and mental health in children and adolescents: findings from the Health Survey for England 2007. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2011, 5(1), 31.
• Meins E, Fernyhough C, Arnott B, Turner M, Leekam S. Mother- Versus Infant-Centered Correlates of Maternal Mind-Mindedness in the First Year of Life. Infancy 2011, 16(2), 137-165.
• Arnott B, McConachie H, Meins E, Fernyhough C, LeCouteur A, Turner M, Parkinson K. The frequency of restricted and repetitive behaviours in a community sample of 15-month-old infants. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 2010, 31(3), 223-229.
• Corriveau HC, Harris PL, Meins E, Fernyhough C, Arnott B, Elliott L, Liddle B, Hearn A, Vittorini L, DeRosnay M. Young children’s trust in their mother’s claims: Longitudinal links with attachment security in infancy. Child Development 2009, 80(3), 750-761.
• Arnott B, Meins E. Continuity in Parental Mind-Mindedness: From the Antenatal Period to One Year Postpartum. Infant Behaviour and Development 2008, 31(4), 647-654.
• Arnott B, Meins E. Links Among Antenatal Attachment Representations, Postnatal Mind-Mindedness, and Infant Attachment Security: A Preliminary Study of Mothers and Fathers. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 2007, 71(2), 132-149.
• Leekam S, Tandos J, McConachie H, Meins E, Parkinson K, Wright C, Turner M, Arnott B, Vittorini L, Le Couteur AS. Repetitive behaviours in typically developing 2-year-olds. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines 2007, 48(11), 1131-1138.