Dr Nicole Paraskeva

• Qualifications:BSc, MSc, CPsychol
• Position:Senior Research Fellow : CAR
• Department:Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences (HAS)
• Telephone:+441173287657
• Email:Nicole.Paraskeva@uwe.ac.uk

About me

Dr Nicole Paraskeva is an applied health psychology researcher specialising in body image and mental health.

With a professional doctorate in health psychology from the University of the West of England (2016) and a Masters in Health Psychology from the University of Bath (2011), Nicole is passionate about promoting positive body image, particularly among people who are struggling with body image concerns and appearance pressures (e.g., children and adolescents, individuals who have undergone treatment for cancer and those considering cosmetic surgery). 

As a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Appearance Research on the Dove Self-Esteem Project partnership team, Nicole leads a team of researchers working on large-scale research projects. Recent project highlights include investigating the effectiveness of a cognitive dissonance based body image intervention in the UK and India, evaluating the effectiveness of a Roblox video game (Super U Story) in improving body image among children and adolescents and exploring the use of social media influencers to deliver body image and mental health content to adolescents.

Nicole is an expert in designing and evaluating interventions including the co-ordination of clinical research trials, designing and evaluating shared decision-making tools for use in clinical settings, systematic reviews, and qualitative research to understand patient experiences.

Skilled in translating research into practice and rigorous research methodologies, Nicole has worked on research and consultancy projects with the Department of Health, NHS England, Unilever, Breast Cancer Now, Succeed Foundation, British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and the YMCA. She regularly speaks on the topics of body image, cosmetic surgery, and the psychosocial aspects of cancer treatment at academic, professional and community events.

Nicole supervises students at a PhD and Masters level. She is a member of the British Psychological Society.

Area of expertise

body image; intervention development and evaluation; eating disorder prevention; mental health; social media; mixed methods; sociocultural factors; public health; children; adolescents; cancer; cosmetic procedures

Publications

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