Research output per year
Research output per year
Accepting PhD Students
PhD projects
Please note that the following projects are self-funded opportunities, i.e. they do not have funding attached:
1. Understanding and addressing loneliness in people living with long-term health conditions
2. Understanding and addressing loneliness in the context of parenting in and beyond the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
3. Understanding and addressing loneliness in carers of people living with long-term health conditions
4. Understanding and addressing loneliness in the context of perinatal loss
Research activity per year
Kathryn is a Lecturer (Education and Research) in the School of Health Sciences and a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. She is a Full Member of two of the Society’s Divisions: Division of Health Psychology and Division of Academics, Researchers, and Teachers in Psychology. She has also been elected as an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society for her contribution to the field of psychology through the application of specialist knowledge.
Kathryn completed an M.A. (Hons.) in Psychology at the University of St. Andrews, an M.Sc. in Health Psychology at the University of Stirling, and a Ph.D. at the University of Dundee, Exploring Loneliness in the Context of Cancer: A Mixed Methods Study. She has held research positions in a variety of areas, including cancer care, palliative care, health behaviour change, primary care and NHS staff wellbeing, at the University of St. Andrews (Schools of Medicine and Psychology), the University of Dundee (Schools of Dentistry, Medicine and Nursing) and the University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre).
Kathryn has expertise in the design and leadership/conduct of several different types of applied health and wellbeing research and evaluation, including:
In addition to her research and evaluation experience Kathryn is experienced in teaching, training and supervision.
Kathryn has worked half-time since the birth of her first child in 2015.
Kathryn’s primary research interest is loneliness in: i) people living with one or more health conditions (e.g. cancer, chronic pain, stroke, mental illness); ii) other health-related contexts (e.g. parenting in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, caring for someone with one or more health conditions, following perinatal loss).
Loneliness is increasingly recognised as a serious problem due to its reported: a) prevalence; b) associations with low wellbeing, poor mental and physical health and premature mortality; c) economic costs. Health conditions and other health-related contexts are acknowledged as particular risk factors for loneliness.
Kathryn is specifically interested in the following in: i) people living with one or more health conditions; ii) other health-related contexts:
Kathryn’s wider research interests include social prescribing and health/healthcare professional behaviour change.
Additionally, Kathryn is committed to conceptual and theoretical advancement and methodological innovation in research.
Kathryn is a member of the Living Well with Long-Term Conditions Research Group and the Mother, Infant and Child Health Research Group and is currently taking new self-funded PhD students. Kathryn welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students about projects focussing on:
Please note that the examples provided are not exclusive and Kathryn welcomes enquires about projects focussing on loneliness in people living with any health conditions or in any other health-related contexts.
Prospective PhD students can contact Kathryn directly by email on [email protected] to discuss research ideas but should first visit the relevant Research Group webpage to see current topics of interest to supervisors:
Living Well with Long-Term Conditions Living Well with Long-Term Conditions (LWLTC) | University of Dundee, UK
Mother, Infant and Child Health (MIRU) Mother and Infant Research Unit | University of Dundee, UK.
Kathryn also welcomes enquiries regarding potential collaboration or consultancy in her areas of research interest.
Kathryn currently teaches:
She also supervises MSc dissertation, DClinPsy (joint with University of Glasgow) and PhD students.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Doctor of Philosophy, Exploring loneliness in the context of cancer: A mixed methods study, University of Dundee
Award Date: 3 Nov 2014
Master of Science, University of Stirling
Award Date: 30 Nov 2009
Master of Arts, University of St Andrews
Award Date: 26 Jun 2008
Senior Research Fellow, University of St Andrews
1 Apr 2021 → 5 Jan 2023
Research Fellow, University of St Andrews
15 Aug 2017 → 5 Jan 2023
Research Fellow, University of Dundee
1 Feb 2016 → 3 Oct 2017
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University of Dundee
1 May 2014 → 31 Jan 2016
Research Assistant, University of Dundee
1 Jul 2013 → 30 Apr 2014
Research Assistant, University of Edinburgh
3 Sept 2009 → 31 Jul 2010
Research Assistant, University of St Andrews
4 Jun 2007 → 27 Jul 2007
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Cunningham, K. (Recipient), 2021
Prize: Election to learned society
Cunningham, K. (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Other distinction
Cunningham, K. (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Other distinction
Cunningham, K. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Other distinction
Cunningham, K. (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Cunningham, K. (Recipient), Carstairs, S. (Recipient), Ozakinci, G. (Recipient) & Sullivan, F. (Recipient)
Activity: Other activity types › Funding - grants and income which support research related activities
Cunningham, K. (Recipient), van Beusekom, M. (Recipient), Ozakinci, G. (Recipient) & Sullivan, F. (Recipient)
Activity: Other activity types › Funding - grants and income which support research related activities
Ozakinci, G. (Recipient), Cunningham, K. (Recipient) & Sullivan, F. (Recipient)
Activity: Other activity types › Funding - grants and income which support research related activities
Cunningham, K. (Recipient)
Activity: Other activity types › Funding - grants and income which support research related activities
Cunningham, K. (Recipient) & Sullivan, F. (Recipient)
Activity: Other activity types › Funding - grants and income which support research related activities
Sullivan, F., Carstairs, S. & Cunningham, K.
20/04/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research