About the project
This project will help parents with babies to introduce allergens during an early weaning process, in order to reduce allergic reactions. It will use health psychology and behavioural science to co-produce an exciting solution with patients in an applied project in the real world.
Food allergy affects 2% to 4% of infants and many are affected for their entire lives. Recommendations for the last 50 years suggested starting weaning at 6 months or later. This included allergenic foods such as peanuts. Recent evidence (de Sika et al, 2020) showed early introduction of allergens can reduce allergy. This needs exploring and evaluating in pragmatic, real-world conditions before implementing.
You will work closely with parents and children, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to co-design a multipronged intervention to support parents wean their children to prevent food allergy. You will apply a wide range of skills and methodologies, including:
- systematic reviewing
- the person-based approach to intervention development
- PPI co-production with a range of stakeholders
- conduct and analysis of qualitative studies to inform intervention optimisation
- intervention piloting
- trial evaluation
You will be based in the School of Psychology and the Biomedical Research Centre.
External supervisors
Alongside your University supervisors, you supervisors will include:
