Student research and real-world impact

Alexandra Wakefield (MSc Behaviour Change 2023-2025) investigated the factors shaping whether and how women and girls engage with digital support. The review can be accessed on Open Science Framework (January 2026).

A practitioner-focused report was developed by Alexandra with her supervisors, CBC’s Dr Alison McKinlay and Dr Vivi Antonopoulou, and Dr Alexandra Burton (Queen Mary University of London), to support frontline practice, service design and commissioning of safer digital support for surivors of intimate partner violence. Find out more.

Andreea Burlibasa and Marta Campagnola (MSc Behaviour Change 2020/21) used the Behaviour Change Wheel to identify barriers and facilitators affecting the delivery of a webchat mental health helpline service for young people. They interviewed nine volunteers and two staff members at The Mix, a digital UK charity that provides free, confidential support for young people under age 25. A paper from the project was published in the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling (May 2025). They were supervised by CBC’s Prof Leslie Gutman.

Marilena Schnorrenberg (MSc Behaviour Change 2020/21) used the COM-B model to investigate the barriers and facilitators to engage with carbon footprint reports delivered via digital banking apps. The findings showed opportunities for banks and fintechs to use behavioural science to embed behavioural science in their strategies - helping people to take meaningful action for the planet. A paper from the project was published in Management of Environmental Quality: An international Journal (June 2025). Marilena was supervised by CBC’s Dr Vivi Antonopoulou and Sabrina Gill (Envaluate).

A systematic review led by Anna Tirion (MSc Behaviour Change 2022/23) identified the behaviour change techniques most frequently and effectively used in sustainable food consumption interventions. The review was published in Appetite journal (October 2025). Anna was supervised by CBC's Danielle D'Lima & Leslie M Gutman, in collaboration with Julia Terlet and Ramya Rao from Behaven.

Nicole Jiang and Aisling Nuttall (MSc Behaviour Change 2023/24) explored how behavioural science can be applied to help organisations to bring about change, reduce stress, promote respect and foster balance. Partnering with the Mindful Business Charter, they identified ways to help organisations put its principles into practice. A blog about the work was published in the London School of Economics Business Review (September 2025). Nicole and Aisling were supervised by CBC’s Prof Leslie Gutman.

Lisa Zhang (MSc Behaviour Change 2020/21) applied the Behaviour Change Wheel to investigate barriers and enablers to clothing repair and repurpose, defined as mending damaged clothes, altering poorly fitting clothes,  and upcycling or refashioning unwanted clothes. Given the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, this study also investigated whether COVID-19 has acted as a ‘moment of change’ in encouraging clothing repair and repurpose. A report was published on Open Science Framework (April 2022). Lisa was supervised by CBC's Dr Jo Davan-Wetton.

For the past five years, our Behaviour Change MSc programme has partnered with The Mix at Mental Health Innovations to improve digital mental health services for young people. This collaboration combines cutting-edge academic research with practical application, delivering measurable impact for service users and advancing the evidence base in behaviour change and mental health.

Through this partnership, MSc students gain real-world experience by working on projects that directly inform the design and delivery of MHI’s digital services, including the Shout text messaging support service. Their research not only enhances service effectiveness but also contributes to published evidence in the growing field of digital mental health interventions.

Key achievements from the collaboration include:

• Six published research papers, with more currently in development.
• A reduction in counselling disengagement rates from 32% to 23%, improving outcomes for young people seeking support.

Prof Leslie Gutman, Director of the MSc Behaviour Change, commented:

“Our collaboration has shown how applied research can be a powerful force for good - transforming services, empowering students, and improving outcomes for young people... I’m excited to continue working together to further optimise these services for diverse young people- ensuring they are inclusive, responsive, and truly fit for purpose”

Janina Tuuli (MSc Behaviour Change 2022/23) shared:

“Working on a research project with The Mix under Prof. Leslie Gutman’s supervision was a unique opportunity to apply and extend my learning from the MSc in Behaviour Change in practice, as well as a key stepping stone towards my career as a Behavioural Science consultant.”

This collaboration demonstrates the power of research-driven innovation in shaping accessible, effective mental health support for young people.

Read more about our collaboration in the Mental Health Innovations blog.