Fiona works as a Research Associate from the Population Health Research Institute. Her primary role is supporting the NIHR funded Long Covid personalised Self-management support co-design and evaluation (LISTEN) project. On the project, Fiona’s responsibilities include supporting the co-design of the trial intervention, together with people with lived experience, and supporting the trial mixed methods process evaluation.
Background & Qualifications
Fiona was awarded her Bachelor of Science (BSc hons) in Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2015 from the University of Chichester. Remaining at the same institution, she went on to complete her Master of Science (MSc) in Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2016 with a thesis that focused upon exploring group dynamics using qualitative methods. In the year that followed, Fiona worked as a research assistant and associate lecturer from the University of Chichester.
In 2018, Fiona began a full time PhD at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Her PhD in Applied Health Psychology was titled ‘Using Integrated Knowledge Translation to Broaden the Narrative Environment of Amputation Rehabilitation’. In her PhD, Fiona drew upon knowledge translation, implementation science and narrative pedagogy, with a focus on co-design and co-production and qualitative methods. To undertake and complete her research, she worked closely with people with lived experience, and healthcare professionals. Fiona was supervised by Professor Ross Wadey, Dr Melissa Day, Dr Stacy Winters and Dr Phoebe Sanders.
Research Interests
Fiona’s research interests include health psychology, rehabilitation for chronic/long-term conditions, knowledge translation, implementation science, co-design and co-production and qualitative methods.
To find out more about the LISTEN project, please visit www.listentrial.co.uk or follow the project on twitter @TheLISTENproj.
As part of her current role, Fiona has spoken about the LISTEN project at numerous national events including long Covid webinars, and NHS England updates. Fiona has also been invited to speak at an international long Covid conference at the University of Otago, New Zealand.
Aside from her written academic publications, Fiona has previously presented at several national and international conferences. These include the Vascular Societies’ Annual Scientific Meeting, the Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, the British Psychological Society Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference, the British Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Amputee Rehabilitation (BACPAR) Annual Conference and the International Conference on Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise.
Heaton-Shrestha, C., Torrens-Burton, A., Leggat, F., Islam, I., Busse, M., & Jones, F. (in press). Co-designing personalised self-management support for people living with long Covid: the LISTEN protocol. PLOS One.
Leggat, F.J., Wadey, R., Day, M., & Winter, S & Sanders, P. (2020). Bridging the know-do gap using integrated knowledge translation and qualitative inquiry: A narrative review. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health. doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2021.1954074.
Leggat, F.J. (2020). Introducing knowledge translation to the psychology of sport injury domain: The art of improving research uptake in practice. In R. Wadey (Eds.) Sport Injury Psychology: Cultural, Relational, Methodological and Applied Considerations (pp. 172-186). UK: Routledge.
Leggat, F.J., Smith, M.J., & Figgins, S.G. (2019). Talented but disruptive: An exploration of problematic players in sports teams. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 32 (4), 357-376. doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2018.1549621.
Fiona works with the LISTEN trial team which span St George's University of London, Kingston University, Cardiff University, University of Lincoln, Kings College London and Swansea University.
Fiona continues to collaborate with colleagues at her previous institutions including St Mary's University and the University of Chichester. Within a research team with expertise in psychology of injury, trauma, and qualitative methods, the team's current focus is to explore the use and impact of narratives in amputation rehabilitation. Together, the research team work closely with St George's Universities NHS Hospital Trust and the the British Association for Chartered Physiotherapists in limb Absence Rehabilitation (BACPAR).