Personal statement

Dr Clio Spanou is Head of the School of Sciences, leading a vibrant academic community committed to excellence in teaching, research, and innovation. She ensures students are at the centre of a professionally relevant, agile curriculum while driving the School’s growth in emerging health opportunities.

Her leadership fosters collaboration, enterprise, and external partnerships, promoting a culture of quality, ambition, and shared success. A Chartered Psychologist, Registered Health Psychologist, and Chartered Scientist, Clio brings over 20 years of experience in higher education, clinical practice, and academic leadership.

Recognised as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, she has shaped curriculum design, programme development, and institutional change. Her research focuses on enhancing practitioner–service user communication, and she contributes nationally as Chair of the British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology Training Committee. 

With expertise in motivational interviewing, change management, and applied health psychology, she champions inclusive, student-centred learning and drives innovations that benefit both the University and the wider community.

As a long-standing teacher practitioner, Clio draws on her breadth of experience to prepare the next generation of professionals through research-informed, practice-driven training that enhances employability and supports academic and professional growth. Her initiatives strengthen learning and teaching while fostering collaborative working relationships that value cognitive diversity and encourage innovation.

Academic qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education, Staffordshire University
  • PhD "Ill Health, Medication and Alcohol as Risks of Accidents among Older Adults", Coventry University
  • MSc Health Psychology, Staffordshire University
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Warwick.

Professional qualifications

  • Change Management Practitioner, APMG International
  • ‘Learning, Teaching and Assessing’ SEDA PDF Award |SEDA Recognised Teacher
  • Leadership & Management Development Programme, Cardiff University
  • MBTI® Qualifying Course, OPP
  • Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers: Training new trainers workshop
  • Edinburgh Clinical Trial Management Course.

Professional recognition and registration

  • HCPC Registered Practitioner Health Psychologist
  • Registered EuroPsy Psychologist
  • Chartered Psychologist
  • Chartered Scientist
  • Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Professional memberships

  • Full Member of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA)
  • Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers
  • Registered MBTI® Assessor.

Other external roles

  • Chair of the Division of Health Psychology Training Committee, British Psychological Society
  • Partnership & Accreditation Committee member, British Psychological Society
  • External Examiner, University of Derby (School of Psychology - PG partner).

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Enhancing employability and engagement with the university through the Student Experience Leaders (SEL) scheme
article

Kaya, S, Spanou, C, Poulter, B, Payne, R, Briggs, S and Brunton, J (2023) 'Enhancing employability and engagement with the university through the Student Experience Leaders (SEL) scheme.' Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education (29). ISSN 1759-667X

Eligibility for interventions, co-occurrence and risk factors for unhealthy behaviours in patients consulting for routine primary care: results from the Pre-Empt study
article

Randell, E, Pickles, T, Simpson, S.A, Spanou, C, McCambridge, J, Hood, K and Butler, C.C (2015) 'Eligibility for interventions, co-occurrence and risk factors for unhealthy behaviours in patients consulting for routine primary care: results from the Pre-Empt study.' BMC Family Practice, 16 (133). ISSN 1471-2296

Training practitioners to deliver opportunistic multiple behaviour change counselling in primary care: a cluster randomised trial
article

Butler, C. C, Simpson, S. A, Hood, K, Cohen, D, Pickles, T, Spanou, C, McCambridge, J, Moore, L, Randell, E, Alam, M. F, Kinnersley, P, Edwards, A, Smith, C and Rollnick, S (2013) 'Training practitioners to deliver opportunistic multiple behaviour change counselling in primary care: a cluster randomised trial.' BMJ, 346. e1191. ISSN 1756-1833

Counselling patients about behaviour change: the challenge of talking about diet
article

Phillips, K, Wood, F, Spanou, C, Kinnersley, P, Simpson, S.A and Butler, C.C (2012) 'Counselling patients about behaviour change: the challenge of talking about diet.' British Journal of General Practice, 62 (594). pp. 13-21. ISSN 0960-1643

Preventing disease through opportunistic, rapid engagement by primary care teams using behaviour change counselling (PRE-EMPT): protocol for a general practice-based cluster randomised trial
article

Spanou, C, Simpson, S.A, Hood, K, Edwards, A, Cohen, D, Rollnick, S, Carter, B, McCambridge, J, Moore, L, Randell, E, Pickles, T, Smith, C, Lane, C, Woods, F, Thornton, H and Butler, C.C (2010) 'Preventing disease through opportunistic, rapid engagement by primary care teams using behaviour change counselling (PRE-EMPT): protocol for a general practice-based cluster randomised trial.' BMC Family Practice, 11 (69). ISSN 1471-2296

A focus group study into patients’ perception of chronic wound pain
article

Spanou, C, Mudge, E and Price, P (2008) 'A focus group study into patients’ perception of chronic wound pain.' Wounds UK, 4 (2). pp. 21-28.

The use of behavioural science within public health: a cross-sectional survey of UK local authority
conference_item

Moffat, A, Smith, L, Chater, A, Spanou, C and Cook, E (2023) The use of behavioural science within public health: a cross-sectional survey of UK local authority. In: 37th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, 4 - 8 September 2023, Bremen, Germany.