Personal profile
Contact Details
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0) 121 204 4291
Biography
Karen is a Chartered Psychologist and Lecturer at Aston Business School whose work specialises in Occupational Health and Work Wellbeing. She completed her PhD in Work Psychology at Loughborough University in 2018, focussing on employee wellbeing and shift working in the Fire and Rescue Service. Prior to moving to Academia, Karen was a Health, Fitness, and Wellbeing practitioner with expertise in GP Exercise Referral, exercise rehabilitation, and weight management. Previous roles included Health and Wellbeing Advisor within the Fire Service responsible for behaviour change programmes for fitness, stress, and weight/disease management for employees using one-to-one coaching and group programmes. Her research is currently centred on behaviour change within the workplace to improve safety and health of workers with projects exploring maladaptive coping techniques in the workplace (substance use, counterproductive work behaviours), and adherence to safety policies and procedures.
Research Interests
Karen's research is focused on healthy workplaces and seeks understand how work influences employees' health and wellbeing. She is interested in the role that work and organisations can play in workers' adoption of adaptive and maladaptive health behaviours as well as the design of interventions to support people to thrive at work.
Membership of Professional Bodies
British Psychological Society - Chartered Member
Advance HE - Fellow
Education/Academic qualification
PG Cert, Academic Practice in Higher Education, Coventry University
Award Date: 21 Nov 2019
PhD, Changes in work conditions, work-related wellbeing and operational effectiveness: Alternative crewing in one UK Fire and Rescue Service , School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University Loughborough, United Kingdom
1 Oct 2013 → 18 Dec 2018
Award Date: 18 Dec 2018
MSc, Health Psychology, Coventry University
Award Date: 21 Nov 2013
PG Dip, Psychology (Conversion), Coventry University
Award Date: 25 Nov 2010
BSc, Sport and Exercise Psychology, University of Brighton
Award Date: 16 Jul 1998
External positions
External Examiner, Lincoln University
1 Oct 2020 → …
Keywords
- BF Psychology
- Occupational Health Psychology
- Work Wellbeing
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery
Pezaro, S. & Maher, K., Mar 2025, Wiley-Blackwell. 192 p.Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book
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‘SWell’ Staff Wellbeing Interventions in Paediatric Critical Care: A Feasibility Study
Shaw, R. L., Fox, A., Gander-Zaucker, S., Maher, K. & Crighton, S., Apr 2025, In: Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 31, 3, 13 p., e70092.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (SciVal)25 Downloads (Pure) -
Managing sickness absence behaviours in the post-pandemic workplace
Kinman, G., Clements, A. J. & Maher, K., 23 Jul 2024, Wellbeing at Work in a Turbulent Era. Brough, P. & Kinman, G. (eds.). Edward Elgar, p. 134-161 28 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference output › Chapter
2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (SciVal) -
Midwives need a useable past to shape their future
Pezaro, S., Maher, K. & Fissell, M., 12 Mar 2022, In: The Lancet. 399, 10329, p. 1046-1047 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter, comment/opinion or interview
Open Access8 Link opens in a new tab Citations (SciVal) -
Problematic substance use in midwives registered with the United Kingdom's Nursing and Midwifery Council: A pragmatic mixed methods study
Pezaro, S., Maher, K., Bailey, E. & Pearce, G., Sept 2022, In: Midwifery. 112, 103409.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (SciVal)13 Downloads (Pure)
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Contexts and complexities: A realist evaluation of integrated care system leadership
Maher, K. (Examiner)
Nov 2024Activity: Examination types › Examination
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Designing evidence-based behaviour change interventions
Maher, K. (Speaker)
9 Sept 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Managing physical health in the workplace
Maher, K. (Speaker)
Mar 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Doing a mixed-methods PhD
Maher, K. (Speaker)
Jun 2023Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Managing physical health in the workplace
Maher, K. (Speaker)
Feb 2023Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk