Dr Helen Cartner

Research Fellow

School: Psychology

I am currently a Research Fellow and Senior Research Assistant in Psychology, associated with in the Northumbria University Psychology and Communication Technology (PaCT) lab.

Current Active Projects:

Research Fellow: T3-HF: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of orally administered Triiodothyronine (T3) for 24 weeks in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection (HFrEF). This is a multi- institution, multi-site NIHR-funded trial. I am supporting the internal pilot to assess recruitment against progression criteria. This involves semi-structured interviews with patients who consented to participate and with those who declined, to explore facilitators and barriers to initial participation and continued engagement. Results will inform processes for full RCT.

Senior Research Assistant: Enhanced Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Harm Reduction Service for People with a Mental Health Diagnosis accessing Community Treatment Services at CNTW: An Evaluation of the Pilot Service. NHS Contract Research (NENC ICB/ICS). Research underpinned by Theoretical Domains Framework. Interviews with service providers (patient-facing staff, referrers, line managers and local leads, strategic and commissioning managers). Interviews with service users (patients with a mental health diagnosis, under care with CNTW who have used the service). Quantitative Analysis of service user evaluation forms.

Recent Projects:

Multi-disciplinary (EPSRC-funded) 'RIICE' project developing a remote system for self-assessment of chewing – the long-term aim being intervention development to explore and address chewing difficulty and related wellbeing and quality of life parameters.

NIHR-funded, PPI-guided 'iSupport-PD' project, jointly delivering a feasibility randomised control trial of a PPI-led online support and resources package for carers of people with Parkinson's-related cognitive impairment.

Co-investigator on an EPSRC multi-disciplinary community-led NortHFutures project; 'Empowering Voices: A Pilot Project Exploring the Impact of Digital Storytelling on Older Adults with Multiple Long-Term Conditions.' I have been involved in university psychology teaching and research since around 2015 after several years as a dentist in general practice and as a health promotion specialist at community and strategic levels.

My PhD involved an extensive PPIE-guided exploratory study of eating experience with early intervention development for people with Sjögren disease. This included application of a novel ethnographic methodology - foodplay.

Email Helen

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Quality of life, clinician-patient interaction, long-term illness experience - including self-management and remote systems, intervention development, PPIE and person-centred research, and broader oral health, eating experience, health psychology and related themes.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
A Novel Image-Based Algorithm to Support Future Remote Assessment of Chewing Function, Branley-Bell, D., Brown, R., Obreque Sepulveda, E., McGrogan, C., Cartner, H., Mohamed, E., Ang, C., Pellegrino, R. 3 Sep 2026, In: Frontiers in Dental Medicine
Exploring Relationships between Chewing and Well-being: Design of a Remote Chewing Assessment System., McGrogan, C., Cartner, H., Ang, C., Dawes, H., Matcham, F., Mohamed, E., Branley-Bell, D. 4 Sep 2024, EHPS 2024: 38th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society
Exploring relationships between chewing difficulty, eating experience, pain, and wellbeing: A cross-sectional self-report study, McGrogan, C., Matcham, F., Dawes, H., Ang, C., Cartner, H., Branley-Bell, D. 1 Oct 2024, In: Clinical Nutrition Open Science
Exploring Relationships Between Eating Experience and Well-Being: Developing an Altered Eating Scale, McGrogan, C., Cartner, H., Campbell, M., Deary, V., Irvine, K., Dawes, H., Ang, C., Matcham, F., Branley-Bell, D. 2 Sep 2024, British Society for Oral and Dental Research Annual Meeting, 2024
RIICE: Designing a Remote Intervention to Investigate Chewing Efficiency, McGrogan, C., Cartner, H., Ang, C., Dawes, H., Matcham, F., Mohamed, E., Branley-Bell, D. 8 Nov 2024, Association of the Directors of Public Health Yorkshire and the Humber Sector-Led Improvement.
I-eAT, a consortium addressing gastronomic solutions for altered taste: A research and development manifesto, Burges Watson, D., Giboreau, A., Coveney, J., Kelly, C., Bensafi, M., Braud, A., Bruyas, A., Carrouel, F., Cartner, H., Cunha, L., Deary, V., Dougkas, A., Monteleone, E., Mourier, V., Singer, P., Spinelli, S. 1 Feb 2023, In: Clinical Nutrition Open Science
'Talking with Food': The First Application of a Novel Methodology (Food Play) to Explore Eating Experience for People Living with Sjogren's Syndrome., Cartner, H., Deary, V., Burges Watson, D., Rapley, T., Campbell, M., Hackett, K., Storey, S. 15 Sep 2023, Altered Taste International Symposium: 3rd Edition 2023
Non-pharmacological interventions for the management of fatigue and constitutional symptoms in Sjogren's syndrome, Hackett, K., Cartner, H. 1 Apr 2021, Oxford Textbook of Sjogren's Syndrome, Oxford University Press
Oral health: A broader psychosocial approach, Cartner, H., Hackett, K., Watson, D., Deary, V. 9 Feb 2018, In: British Dental Journal

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Organising a conference, workshop, ...: Silent Voices: Our Hidden Stories 2025
Consultancy: Study: McCallum, C., Campbell, M., Vines, J., Rapley, T., Ellis, J., Deary, V., Hackett, K. (2024). A Smartphone App to Support Self-Management for People Living with Sjogren's Syndrome: Qualitative Co-Design Workshops. JMIR Human Factors, Vol 11 e54172 DOI: 10.2196/54172 2021

Qualifications