Oonagh is Lecturer (Above the Bar) in Transdisciplinary Research with the Designing Futures team at the University of Galway. Oonagh is Director of the UniversitysVertically Integrated Project (VIP) programme. This programme givesstudents the opportunity to work in transdisciplinary research teams with Principal Investigators across the University to gain practical research experience and develop their research and project management skills. More information about the VIP programme is available a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:www.universityofgalway.iedesigningfuturespersonalisedstudentjourneyverticallyintegratedprojectshere .Oonagh is based in the School of Psychology at the University of Galway where she supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students. She is an active member of the a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:www.universityofgalway.iehbcrgHealth Behaviour Change Research Group .Oonaghs research interests lie in health psychology, particularly in relation to the prevention and management of long term health conditions and the development, evaluation and implementation of health behaviour change interventions. Sheis a Patient and Public - No restriction Involvement Catalyst at the University where she works to support staff and students to embed patient and Public - No restriction involvement in research.Oonagh obtained a BA(Hons) in Applied Psychology in 2005 from University College Cork. She completed a Masters in Health Psychology (2007) and a PhD in Applied Psychology (2013) at the University of Nottingham. Her PhD thesis examined the role of online support groups for individuals and families affected by rare neuromuscular disorders.

Research InterestsPatient and Public - No restriction involvement in research Understanding the experiences of those living with long term health conditions and investigating optimal psychosocial supports Understanding the links between physical and mental health Developing and evaluating health behaviour change interventions Educational interventions for healthcare staff and students Methodological expertiseCommunity-engaged research Intervention development Qualitative research Trials Questionnaire-based studies Reviews