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Role:
Department staff:
Collaborations:
- Cleft Lip and Palate Association
- VTCTF (Vocational Training Charitable Trust Foundation)
- The Cleft Collective
- Headlines Craniofacial Support
- Seattle Children's hospital
- Great Ormond Street Hospital
- Oxford University Hospitals
- Cleft Clinical Excellence Networks
- American Cleft Palate Craniofacial-Association (ACPA) Global Task Forcefor Hollistic Outcomes
Research staff:

- Qualifications:Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology; MSc Health Psychology, BSc Psychology
- Position:Research Fellow
- Department:Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences (HAS)
- Telephone:+4411732 83715
- Email:Bruna.Oliveiracosta@uwe.ac.uk
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Social media:
About me
I am a Research Fellow at the Centre for Appearance Research. My work focuses on the psychosocial impact of appearance-altering health conditions, namely, congenital craniofacial conditions including cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P), craniosynostosis, and craniofacial microsomia (CFM). I contribute to various research projects and manage a team of Research Associates.I enjoy collaborations with national and international researchers, academics, charitable organisations and health professionals, as well as experts by experience. I regularly demonstrate commitment to public engagement and science communication, as well as Patient and Public Involvement in research, and the meaningful co-production of outputs. I co-host 'Appearance Matters: The Podcast', a CAR platform, regularly enjoyed by academics, students and health professionals across several countries.
Currently, I am working on CARE (Craniofacial microsomia: Accelerating Research and Education). CARE is a large-scale NIH-funded international study (based at two primary sites – UWE and Seattle Children's Research Institute), and includes members from 20+ disciplines and 7+ countries. Our primary aim is to learn more about, and contribute to the improvement of, the experiences of the CFM community.
I am a health psychologist by training, with a particular interest in the sociopolitical nature of health and wellbeing and the pressing need to address inequities in this area.
In addition to my research, as an Associate Lecturer, I supervise and mentor Masters and Undergraduate (dissertation and placement) students, deliver seminars and lectures, and support student assessment (exams, assignments) within the School.
My research can be found in a range of leading academic journals. Please visit my Research Gate page to read my work.
Publications
