Dr Stephen Dunne

Assistant Professor

School: Psychology

I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. As a clinically focused psychologist and researcher, my work bridges cognitive neuropsychology and psychosocial rehabilitation to advance understanding and support for people living with the hidden consequences of stroke and brain injury.

My research centres on the development and evaluation of co-produced digital and psychosocial interventions that address issues such as visual impairments, identity disruption, stigma, and loneliness after stroke or brain injury. Across my work, I am particularly interested in how motivational, social, and emotional factors shape rehabilitation and recovery, and how these can be harnessed to improve quality of life for survivors and their families.

I completed my PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology at Durham University, where I investigated how reward-based mechanisms influence eye movements and behaviour—work that informed later research into reward-driven training for visual field deficits such as hemianopia. Following this, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher on a major programme developing and trialling digital tools to support compensation for post-stroke visual loss.

Since joining Northumbria, I have expanded my programme of work to examine the broader psychosocial challenges faced by people after stroke or brain injury, including hidden impairments that affect identity, social participation, and wellbeing. My projects combine clinical insight, co-production, and interdisciplinary collaboration to generate practical solutions to complex rehabilitation needs.

Email Stephen

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Bridging care in brain injury rehabilitation: A reflexive thematic analysis of staff perspectives on the role of peer support, Dunne, S., Simpson, A., Allan, J. 1 Feb 2026, In: British Journal of Health Psychology
‘They think we’re just in God’s waiting room’: A discursive study on identity aloneness in stroke survivors, Jefferson, L., Dunne, S. 1 May 2025, In: Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine
Life after lockdown: loneliness, exclusion and the impact of hidden disability, Bradbury, C., Fletcher, A., Dunne, S. 14 Jun 2024, In: Brain Impairment
Self-administered mindfulness interventions reduce stress in a large, randomized controlled multi-site study, Sparacio, A., Ijzerman, H., Ropovik, I., Giorgini, F., Spiessens, C., Uchino, B., Landvatter, J., Tacana, T., Diller, S., Derrick, J., Segundo, J., Pierce, J., Ross, R., Francis, Z., LaBoucane, A., Ma-Kellams, C., Ford, M., Schmidt, K., Wong, C., Higgins, W., Stone, B., Stanley, S., Ribeiro, G., Fuglestad, P., Jaklin, V., Kübler, A., Ziebell, P., Jewell, C., Kovas, Y., Allahghadri, M., Fransham, C., Baranski, M., Burgess, H., Benz, A., DeSousa, M., Nylin, C., Brooks, J., Goldsmith, C., Benson, J., Griffin, S., Dunne, S., Davis, W., Watermeyer, T., Meese, W., Howell, J., Standiford Reyes, L., Strickland, M., Dickerson, S., Pescatore, S., Skakoon-Sparling, S., Wunder, Z., Day, M., Brenton, S., Linden, A., Hawk, C., O’Brien, L., Urgyen, T., McDonald, J., van der Schans, K., Blocker, H., Ng Tseung-Wong, C., Jiga-Boy, G. 1 Sep 2024, In: Nature Human Behaviour
Uncovering the social determinants of brain injury rehabilitation, Dunne, S., Williams, G., Bradbury, C., Keyes, T., Lane, A., Yang, K., Ellison, A. 1 Sep 2023, In: Journal of Health Psychology

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Organising a conference, workshop, ...: Silent Voices: Our Hidden Stories 2025
Organising a conference, workshop, ...: Life After Stroke 2024
Invited talk: Improving Knowledge Mobilisation for Post-Stroke 'Invisible' Disability 2023
Invited talk: Experiences of loneliness in stroke and brain injury survivors 2022
Oral presentation: Maximising Telerehabilitation for Patients With Visual Loss After Stroke 2021

PGR Supervision

Lewis Jefferson Start Date: 01/10/2024

PGR Supervision

Cara Dunlop In Sight, In Mind: Exploring Awareness, Reducing Stigma, and Enhancing Daily Life for the Visually Impaired in the UK Through the Creation of Immersive Educational Tools. Start Date: 01/10/2025
Lewis Jefferson Revealing the Unseen – Exploring and showcasing invisible impairments in stroke Start Date: 01/10/2024