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Dr Liz Sillence

Associate Professor

Department: Psychology

Dr Liz Sillence completed her PhD At Birmingham University in 2003 and joined the Department of Psychology at Northumbria University later that year. She is a founding member of the PaCT (Psychology and Communication Technologies) Lab. Liz leads undergraduate modules in eHealth and research placements on the MRes programme and contributes to research supervision of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students. Liz’s current research interest centre on ehealth and she is currently investigating the trust and privacy issues associated with the technological sharing of personal health data. Liz is also a member of the hoarding research group within the department investigating the cybersecurity issues related to digital hoarding.

Liz Sillence

Liz is an eHealth researcher, examining psychological aspects of users’ online interactions around eHealth information. She works at the intersection of psychology and digital technology and her research has a strong focus on trust and identity. She seeks to understand how people interact with digital information and advice and how they use it to inform their health decision-making and improve their wellbeing. There is a strong practical element to her research, in which she strives to see her findings applied to positive effect in the design and development of online resources for patients.  

Understanding the interaction between users and their digital information is at the heart of Liz's research and the application of psychology to risky informational settings has allowed her to examine trust, identity and wellbeing around digital information management in relation to security and the hoarding of digital data.

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Buffering against academic loneliness: The benefits of social media-based peer support during postgraduate study, McLaughlin, C., Sillence, E. 1 Mar 2023, In: Active Learning in Higher Education
  • Communicating knowledge and embodied experiences of personal menstrual cup use through YouTube, Sillence, E., McKellar, K. 30 Jan 2023, In: Qualitative Health Communication
  • A qualitative study of perceptions of control over potential causes of death and the sources of information that inform perceptions of risk, Brown, R., Sillence, E., Pepper, G. 31 Dec 2022, In: Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
  • Collecting and sharing self-generated health and lifestyle data: understanding barriers for people living with long-term health conditions – a survey study, Brown, R., Coventry, L., Sillence, E., Blythe, J., Stumpf, S., Lloyd, K., Gibbs, J., Tariq, S., Bird, J., Durrant, A. 2022, In: Digital Health
  • How do students use digital technology to manage their university-based data: Strategies, accumulation difficulties and feelings of overload?, Sillence, E., Dawson, J., McKellar, K., Neave, N. 6 Oct 2022, In: Behaviour and Information Technology
  • Understanding the attitudes and experiences of people living with potentially stigmatised long-term health conditions with respect to collecting and sharing health and lifestyle data, Brown, R., Sillence, E., Coventry, L., Simpson, E., Tariq, S., Gibbs, J., Durrant, A. 2022, In: Digital Health
  • Exploring British adolescents’ views and experiences of problematic smartphone use and smartphone etiquette, Conlin, M., Sillence, E. 18 Feb 2021, In: Journal of Gambling Issues
  • Facebook Social Use and Anxiety: A Replication Attempt, Sillence, E., Saxton, T., Pollet, T. 9 Jul 2021, In: Human Communication & Technology
  • "I'm finally allowed to be me": Parent-Child Estrangement and Psychological Wellbeing, Linden, A., Sillence, E. 1 Jul 2021, In: Families, Relationships and Societies
  • Promoting Cybersecurity Culture Change in Healthcare, Branley-Bell, D., Coventry, L., Sillence, E. 29 Jun 2021, PETRA 2021: The 14th PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments Conference, New York, ACM

  • Matt Dixon The Self-Extended Smartphone: Implications for Privacy and Security Start Date: 06/09/2022
  • Lauren Bussey The use and integration of online information in health decision making Start Date: 01/10/2015 End Date: 10/05/2019
  • Kerry McKellar Developing a brief online sexual health intervention for low Socio Economic Status female teenagers Start Date: 08/04/2016 End Date: 26/03/2018
  • Emma Kemp Understanding the information needs of perinatal women: The role of technology support tools for new mothers Start Date: 01/10/2017
  • Emma Kemp Start Date: 01/10/2017 End Date: 28/09/2019

  • Computer Studies PhD December 12 2003
  • Design Studies MSc September 01 1998


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