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- Qualifications:MSc Health Psychology, BSc Psychology
- Position:Research Associate
- Department:Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences (HAS)
- Telephone:+44117 965 6261
- Email:Debora.Blasomoreira@uwe.ac.uk
About me
I am a Research Associate at the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR). My work focuses on the psychosocial impact of appearance and body image.
I received my Master's in Health Psychology in November 2023. My thesis explored the impact of fashion clothing involvement (i.e., the importance of fashion to one's sense of self) on body image and mental health. I have a particular interest cross-cultural working, and in this study focused on Brazilian women, exploring issues of self-objectification, self-esteem, and disordered eating.
I work within the craniofacial team, on conditions including Cleft Lip and/or Palate (CL/P) and Craniofacial Microsomia (CFM). I am primary funded under the CARE (Craniofacial microsomia: Accelerating Research and Education) grant, a large-scale NIH-funded international study based at two primary sites – UWE and Seattle Children's Research Institute. The team includes members from 20+ disciplines and 7+ countries. Our primary aim in this project is to learn more about, and contribute to the improvement of, the experiences of the CFM community.
I also work on other projects, for example, analysing Cleft Collective data. The Cleft Collective is the largest CL/P cohort study. We are currently seeking to assess longitudinal parental psychological wellbeing and its influence on child outcomes in cleft lip/palate using 5-year cohort data. A separate ongoing project, First Looks, focuses on better understanding patients' experiences of viewing their appearance for the first time after craniofacial surgery.
Our work has an applied focus, aiming to support the development of evidence-based support for those impacted by craniofacial conditions. For example, the First Looks project provides insights on best support for individuals with craniofacial conditions, undergoing surgery, to develop and cultivate a positive self-image, psychological health, and other post-surgical outcomes.
I provide broader contributions to CAR and the School, including student teaching, assessment and supervision. I am ethics reviewer for the College of Health, Science and Society (UWE). As a member of CAR, I contribute to the management of social media platforms (namely LinkedIn), and organise the 'Mentoring Breakfast' for the international Appearance Matters conference.
Area of expertise
Body Image; Psychology Applied to Fashion; Self-Objectification; Health Psychology
Publications
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