Staff Profile | Faculty of Medical Sciences (2024)

I joined Newcastle University's Population Health Sciences Institute in August 2022. I am a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Fellow of Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health. Iam currently the lead for Fuse's Public Mental Health Programme, and serve on the Editorial Board of the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

My research takes the form of two inter-related strands:

First, how motivation is sustained and strengthened during crises. This includes understanding how and why people cope differently, with a focus on mental health outcomes.

Second, translating these ideas to design equitable interventions and policies to support health and wellbeing. Here I focus on physicalactivity and broader community-led approaches to engage those excluded from standard services.

I have a particular interest in research development and training, serving in my previous role at Durham University as Director of Research and Director of Postgraduates. Ihold an Honorary Chair at Durham, and supervise a number of postgraduate students across both institutions. I am keen to hear from potential postgraduate applicants wishing to work in the areas above.

You can find out more by following me onTwitteror via GoogleScholar.

I am a member of the Population Health Sciences Instituteand contribute to the Behavioural Sciences, Public Health and Health Inequalities, and Human Nutrition and Exercise research themes.

My funded work spans conceptual considerations of motivation to their application in a range of complex interventions promoting physical activity and mental health, often to underserved groups. I am particularly interested in referral-based interventions and policy approaches to supporting community-based providers.

Examples of funded projects include:

Oliver EJ, Walters K, Henderson E, Pinfold V, Walker T, & Osborn D (2021). WHOLE-SMI: Wellbeing and holistic health promotion for individuals with severe mental illness. Funder: National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Oliver EJ, Gnani S, (2020). Evaluating community-based co-location models for supporting public mental health. Funder: National Institutefor Health Research.

Osborn D, Walters K, Oliver EJ et al. (2019). Interventions supporting individuals experiencing acute psychosocial crises. Funder: National Institute of Health Research.

Oliver EJ. (2019). Inclusion and engagement in elite talent development systems. Funder: Sport England,

Lafortune L, Buckner S, Lee C, Oliver EJ et al. (2018). Developing age-friendly rural communities: the contribution of local planning processes. Funder: National Institute of Health Research.

Oliver EJ. (2017). Physical activity, rurality and health in Sri Lanka: Building sustainable health promotion systems. Funder: Newton Fund.

I am strongly committed to providing challenging and supportive pedagogical experiences, and have over 12years experience of teaching inHigher Education. This includesthe delivery and leadership (e.g., Programme Directorship) of both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, across multiple programmes. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, hold a postgraduate certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, and have published learning and teaching-related work (see publications).

At Newcastle University, I contribute toteaching and project supervision across the School of Psychology and the School of Biomedical, Nutritional, and Sport Sciences.

• Rigby BP, Dodd-Reynolds CJ, Oliver EJ. The understanding, application and influence of complexity in national physical activity policy-making.Health Research Policy and Systems 2022, 20(1), 59.
• Lee C, Parker G, Buckner S, Mattocks C, Barnes A, Oliver EJ, Cowan A, Lafortune L. Neighbourhood planning, rural ageing and public health policy in England: a case of policy myopia?.Town Planning Review 2022, 93(3), 275-300.
• McGrath M, Duncan F, Dotsikas K, Baskin C, Crosby L, Gnani S, Hunter RM, Kaner E, Kirkbride JB, Lafortune L, Lee C, Oliver E, Osborn DP, Walters KR, Dykxhoorn J. Effectiveness of community interventions for protecting and promoting the mental health of working-age adults experiencing financial uncertainty: A systematic review.Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2021, 75(7), 665-673.
• Oliver EJ, Dodd-Reynolds C, Kasim A, Vallis D. Inequalities and inclusion in exercise referral schemes: A mixed-method multi-scheme analysis.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18(6), 1-10.
• Hanson CL, Oliver EJ, Dodd-Reynolds CJ, Pearsons A, Kelly P. A modified Delphi study to gain consensus for a taxonomy to report and classify physical activity referral schemes (PARS).International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2020, 17(1), 158.
• Rigby BP, Dodd-Reynolds CJ, Oliver EJ. Inequities and inequalities in outdoor walking groups: A scoping review.Public Health Reviews 2020, 41(1), 4.
• Thomas LB, Fadeeva A, Oliver EJ. The double negative: Personality differentially predicts sensitivity to need support and thwarting, and subsequent behavioural response planning.Personality and Individual Differences 2020, 156, 109767.
• Hanson CL, Oliver EJ, Dodd-Reynolds CJ, Kelly P. We are failing to improve the evidence base for 'exercise referral': How a physical activity referral scheme taxonomy can help.British Journal of Sports Medicine 2020, 54(12), 696-697.
• Hawkins J, Charles JM, Edwards M, Hallingberg B, Mcconnon L, Edwards RT, Jago R, Kelson M, Morgan K, Murphy S, Oliver EJ, Simpson SA, Moore G. Acceptability and feasibility of implementing accelorometry-based activity monitors and a linked web portal in an exercise referral scheme: feasibility randomized controlled trial.Journal of Medical Internet Research 2019, 21(3), e12374.
• Jamie K, Oliver EJ, Paterson A, Whittlesea C. Discussing alcohol in medicines use reviews: experiences of patients in a community pharmacy context.International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2019, 27(3), 318-321.
• Hanson CL, Oliver EJ, Dodd-Reynolds CJ, Allin LJ. How do participant experiences and characteristics influence engagement in exercise referral? A qualitative longitudinal study of a scheme in Northumberland, UK.BMJ Open 2019, 9(2), e024370.
• Dodd-Reynolds CJ, Nevens L, Oliver EJ, Finch T, Lake AA, Hanson CL. Prototyping for public health in a local context: a streamlined evaluation of a community-based weight management programme (Momenta), Northumberland, UK.BMJ Open 2019, 9(10), e029718.
• Flint SW, Oliver EJ. Seven-year itch: The UK Government's difficult relationship with the food and drink industry since Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England (2011).Public Health Nutrition 2019, 22(7), 1326-1329.
• Flint SW, Oliver EJ, Copeland RJ. Editorial: Obesity stigma in healthcare: Impacts on policy, practice, and patients.Frontiers in Psychology 2017, 8, 2149.
• Hawkins J, Edwards M, Charles J, Jago R, Kelson M, Morgan K, Murphy S, Oliver E, Simpson S, Edwards RT, Moore G. Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial of the use of Physical ACtivity monitors in an Exercise Referral Setting: The PACERS study.Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2017, 3(1), 51.
• Morris R, Tod D, Oliver E. An Investigation Into Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Youth-to-Senior Transition in Professional Soccer in the United Kingdom.Journal of Applied Sport Psychology 2016, 28(4), 375-391.
• Oliver EJ, Hanson CL, Lindsey IA, Dodd-Reynolds CJ. Exercise on referral: evidence and complexity at the nexus of public health and sport policy.International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics 2016, 8(4), 731-736.
• Oliver EJ, Hudson J, Thomas L. Processes of identity development and behaviour change in later life: Exploring self-talk during physical activity uptake.Ageing and Society 2016, 36(7), 1388-1406.