CBC Research and Impact During the COVID‑19 Pandemic

Reducing transmission through adherence to restrictions, use of PPE, distancing, hand hygiene and vaccination was critical to protecting health systems and saving lives (West, Michie, Rubin, Amlôt, 2020).

The CBC collaborated with researchers across disciplines - including data and public health scientists, virologists, epidemiologists, bio‑ethicists, statisticians and geographers. Director Professor Susan Michie served on the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and Independent SAGE, consulted for the World Health Organization, and provided expert evidence to the UK and Irish Parliaments and Welsh Assembly. She also regularly contributed behavioural science advice to national and international media.
Professor Michie, alongside Professor Henry Potts (UCL) and colleagues from KCL and Public Health England, conducted the NIHR‑funded CORSAIR study, analysing weekly UK survey data on public perceptions and protective behaviours. Findings informed Government policy and communications in real time.

Virological Analysis and Behavioural Study of Health Care Workers - SAFER (2020–2021)
Funder: MRC
Partners: UCLH, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
CBC leads: Prof Susan Michie, Dr Fabiana Lorencatto
CBC researchers: Dr Elise Crayton, Dr Carly Meyer
This study explored healthcare workers’ experiences during the pandemic and examined use of protective behaviours such as PPE and physical distancing across A&E, ICU, AMU, Haematology and Infectious Diseases departments in two English hospitals. Findings on individual, socio‑cultural and environmental influences informed recommendations to improve protective behaviours and future outbreak preparedness.

CATCH‑19: Management of COVID‑19 in Care Homes

Funder: UKRI‑ESRC
Duration: 2020–2021
Partners: UCL Institute of Health Informatics
CBC lead: Dr Fabiana Lorencatto
CBC researcher: Dr Gillian Forbes
This project investigated COVID‑19’s impact on care homes, gathering data from over 800 managers across the UK. It examined staff protective behaviours using the COM‑B model and generated policy recommendations for managing the second wave and planning for future pandemics.

Professors Susan Michie and Robert West participated in SAGE’s Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI‑B), contributing guidance based on the COM‑B model and Behaviour Change Wheel. Both were also members of Independent SAGE, which provided public briefings, reports and independent advice to inform the national response. Independent SAGE held weekly conferences with the press and public live streamed on YouTube, and produced reports published on their website.

Professor Michie provided expert evidence to:

• House of Commons Science and Technology Committee Inquiry: Witness in session on COVID-19 and Immunity Passports.
• House of Lords Science and Technology Committee Inquiry: Witness in session on COVID-19 and Behavioural Science: the session can be watched on the Parliament Live Tv player
• Parliament of Ireland
• Welsh Assembly
• National Association of Local Councils

She also served on:

• London’s Transition Board COVID‑19 Outbreak Control Strategy Group
• COVID‑19 Vaccine Health Equity and Engagement Task and Finish Group

CBC Deputy Director Dr Paul Chadwick contributed to the British Psychological Society’s Behavioural Disease Prevention Taskforce, which was chaired by CBC Associate Professor Angel Chater. The Taskforce Committee co‑produced 17 guidance documents to support national and local COVID‑19 responses.

Professor Michie served on WHO’s Behavioural Insights and Sciences Technical Advisory Group and, with Dr Elizabeth Corker, supported countries to use behavioural data to inform policy. She was also part of the Lancet Commission’s Task Force on Public Health Measures to Suppress the Pandemic.

Dr Chadwick worked with Hertfordshire County Council’s Behavioural Insights Unit to adapt the Achieving Behaviour Change Guides for rapid use during COVID‑19. The tools supported briefings for public health campaigns under the Stay Safe Hertfordshire programme, including resilience‑building, alcohol harm prevention and promotion of physical distancing.

Coronavirus: The Whole Story - How can behavioural science help us combat the virus?

As part of UCL's podcast 'The Whole Story', Professor Susan Michie and Professor Robert West spoke about the role that behavioural science has to play in managing the pandemic. What are the small changes that all of us can make to stop the spread and impact of COVID-19, and what else should the Government be doing to encourage us all to adopt these new ways of behaving? Catch up on the UCL website. (July 2021)

Coronavirus special - The Evidence, BBC

Professor Susan Michie was on the BBC's 'The Evidence', as part of a panel of international experts taking a global look at the science of Covid-19. Topics include vaccines, treatments, strategies to contain the virus and the role of big data. Catch up now on the BBC website. (March 2020)