Nicola Small

Nicola Small is a Research Associate (Care Coordination) at the University of Manchester's Division of Population Health, Health Services Research & Primary Care. She holds a PhD from the same institution and has advanced qualifications in Health Psychology and Psychology with Art. Her research focuses on patient experience, personalized care, and empowerment, particularly for individuals with long-term conditions. She leads initiatives in Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) and is a member of the NIHR Academy and Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC).

• Education:
  • PhD in Health Psychology, University of Manchester (2012)
  • MSc Health Psychology, Staffordshire University (Distinction)
  • BA Psychology with Art, University of Chester (Honours)
• Key Research Themes:
  • Development of patient-reported outcome measures
  • Qualitative research methods and psychometrics
  • Impact of multimorbidity on patient care
  • Co-production approaches in healthcare

Dr. Small's work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to good health and well-being (SDG3). She has held roles such as Regional Representative for the UK Research Staff Association (2019-2022) and has collaborated with institutions like Keele University and the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. Notable awards include the EMPOWER PPIE Partnership Highly Commended Award (2021) and the NIHR Launching Fellowship (2020).

Her research outputs span over 30 peer-reviewed articles, including studies on digital health tools for symptom tracking, cultural adaptations in primary care post-COVID-19, and systematic reviews on exercise interventions for anxiety.