Sigrid Lipka

Dr Sigrid Lipka serves as Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Derby within the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care and School of Psychology. She chairs the HPSC College Research Degrees Committee, oversees doctoral student progression, and contributes to research ethics as a Human Sciences Research Ethics Committee member. Previously, she served three years on the University Professorial Council (2018-21) mentoring early-career researchers and shaping research strategy.

Her educational qualifications include:

• Diplompsychologie (MSc equivalent) from University of Bonn, Germany
• MSc Human Communication Studies from Institute of Neurology, University of London
• PhD Psychology from University College London
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Lipka's research integrates psychological theory with real-world applications across language processing, behaviour change, and well-being. She investigates bilingual reading strategies, exam anxiety, alcohol-aggression links, working memory in forensic settings, and physical activity barriers using behaviour change models. Her current projects examine reading's mental health benefits and systems thinking for doctoral student wellbeing, emphasizing practical interventions in educational and community contexts.

Her 15 most recent publications reveal interdisciplinary trends spanning cognitive neuroscience, public health, and clinical psychology. Key themes include pattern recognition mechanisms, physical activity behaviour change in university populations, and gambling decision-making, often employing mixed-methods approaches that bridge laboratory experiments with real-world applications in health and education.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Lipka actively supervises doctoral students and has integrated undergraduate/Master's researchers into projects through URSS and OCIS schemes. She has secured competitive funding from German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), German Research Foundation (DFG), and multiple University of Derby internal grants, including current projects on reading wellbeing and doctoral supervision systems.

She leads the university's Doctoral Research Supervisor training programme and contributes to the Health and Social Care Research Centre, fostering collaborative environments that connect psychological research with health and social care applications through college research committees and cross-disciplinary initiatives.