Neil Howlett

Neil Howlett is a Reader in Behaviour Change and Public Health at the University of Hertfordshire's Department of Psychology, Sport and Geography, within the School of Life and Medical Sciences. He leads the Public Health and Applied Behaviour Change Laboratory. With over 15 years of expertise, his work focuses on designing and evaluating interventions targeting physical activity, public health policies, and behavior change theories. He has secured £7.5 million in grants, including NIHR-funded projects like PHIRST Connect Team and Green Health Prescriptions evaluations. His research spans pandemic responses, community health programs, and youth mental health interventions.

Education:

• PhD in Psychology (2014–2019): Evidence-based behaviour change interventions for health and wellbeing
• MSc by Research in Psychology (2009–2010): Gestural communication with infants
• BSc (Hons) Psychology (2005–2008)

Research Interests:

Neil specializes in physical activity promotion, systematic reviews, and policy briefings. He develops interventions for populations, including inactive adults and youth, and investigates the impact of behavior change techniques. His work emphasizes practical applications, such as exercise referral schemes, green health prescriptions, and pandemic adaptations. He collaborates with charities like HENRY and leads initiatives like Active Herts.

Grants and Projects:

• NIHR Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences (2023–2024)
• Green Health Prescription Evaluation (GRAPPEL) (2022–2024)
• CoPACT Evaluation in Southampton (2022–2023)

Labs and Teams:

He directs the Public Health and Applied Behaviour Change Laboratory, focusing on translating research into scalable interventions. His team collaborates with UCL's NIHR Policy Research Unit and engages community champions in participatory action research.