Staff Profile

I am a Lecturer in Child Health in the Population Health Sciences Institute. Prior to this, I was Research Fellow in Prevention, Early Intervention and Behaviour Change at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria. I am also currently Visiting Researcher at the Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge.

My disciplinary background is in health psychology, with a focus on the optimisation of integrated care and whole systems approaches to health and care. This includes a specialist interest in healthcare professional communication and collaborative behaviours. My PhD, from City, University of London, explored the interface between midwives and health visitors when providing maternity care. My broader interests lie in addressing health inequalities through the provision of high-quality preventative community-based care and primary care, and the evaluation of such services, particularly in underserved and marginalised populations (e.g., women, minoritised ethnicities).

PhD supervisor - Faculty of Medical Sciences/Population Health Sciences Institute

Modules taught (Undergraduate)

NUT3011 - Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health

NUT3002 - Research Project and Thesis, BSc Food and Human Nutrition

PSY3097 - Empirical Project - Dissertation, BSc Psychology

Modules taught (Postgraduate)

HSC8041 - Public Health Interventions (Module Lead)

HSC8099 - Dissertation, Master of Global/Public Health

PSY8037 - Dissertation, MSc in Foundations in Clinical Psychology

• Articles

  • Sandhu A, Aquino MRJ, Tang MY. ‘Whose pain is real pain and whose pain is not’: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the role of social support in help-seeking for perinatal mental illnesses in women from minoritised ethnicities. Ethnicity & Health 2025, 30(3), 413-431.
  • Lysons JL, Pineda RM, Aquino MRJ, Cann H, Faeron P, Kendall S, Kirman J, Goodman J. What do parents, professionals and policy colleagues want from a universal assessment of child development in the early years? A qualitative study in England. BMJ Open 2024, 14(12), e091080.
  • Woodrow N, Gillespie D, Kitchin L, O'Brien M, Chapman S, Chng NR, Passey A, Aquino MRJ, Clarke Z, Goyder E. Reintroducing face-to-face support alongside remote support to form a hybrid stop smoking service in England: a formative mixed methods evaluation. BMC Public Health 2024, 24, 718.
  • Aquino MRJ, Brennan-Tovey K, Fong M, Wearn A, Bigirumurame T, Robinson T, Trevor M, Feeney J, Rutter A, Sharrock R, West J, Bridges S, Attwood AS, Jolly K, Damery S, Flanagan S, Armitage C, Russell S, Strong S, Ramsay SE, Kaner EFS. Implementation and impact of NHS-funded tobacco dependence services in England: a mixed-method evaluation protocol. BMJ Open 2024, 14(12), e089630.
  • Fong M, Kenny RPW, Thomson K, Jesurasa A, Lavans A, Patterson M, Sermin-Reed L, Nguyen G, Aquino MRJ, Cullen E, O'Keefe H, Moffat M, Heslehurst N. Effectiveness and implementation of lower-intensity weight management interventions delivered by the non-specialist workforce in postnatal women: a mixed-methods systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health 2024, 12, 1359680.
  • Adesanya AM, Barrett S, Moffat M, Aquino MRJ, Nicholson W, Turner G, Cook E, Tyndall S, Rankin J. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Expectant and New Parent’s Experience of Pregnancy, Childbirth, Breastfeeding, Parental Responsiveness and Sensitivity, Bonding and Attunement in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. BMJ Open 2022, 12(12), e066963.
  • Mullis, R, Aquino, MRJ, Kreit, E, Johnson, V, Grant, J, Blatchford, E, Pilling, M, Fusco, F, Mant, J. Developing primary care services for stroke survivors: The Improving Primary Care After Stroke (IPCAS) research programme. NIHR Journals 2022. In Press.
  • Olander EK, Aquino MRJV, Bryar RM. Three perspectives on the co-location of maternity services and interprofessional care: Qualitative interviews with mothers, midwives and health visitors. Journal of Interprofessional Care 2020, epub ahead of print.
  • Aquino MRJV, Mullis R, Kreit E, Johnson V, Grant J, Lim L, Sutton S, Mant J. Improving Primary Care After Stroke (IPCAS) randomised controlled trial: protocol for a multidimensional process evaluation. BMJ Open 2020, 10(7), e036879.
  • Aquino MRJ, Mullis R, Moore C, Kreit E, Lim L, McKevitt C, Mackintosh B, Mant J. “It’s Difficult, There’s No Formula”: Qualitative Study of Stroke Related Communication Between Primary and Secondary Healthcare Professionals. International Journal of Integrated Care 2020, 20(4), 11.
  • Aquino MRJV, Olander EK, Bryar RM. A focus group study of women's views and experiences of maternity care as delivered collaboratively by midwives and health visitors in England. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2018, 18, 505.
  • Aquino MRJ, Olander EK, Needle JJ, Bryar RM. Midwives’ and health visitors’ collaborative relationships: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2016, 62, 193-206.