Professor Kate Hamilton-West has 25 years' experience in research, evaluation, innovation and leadership across academia, NHS, the charity sector and industry. She is a Chartered Psychologist, Registered Health Psychologist, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS), Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Honorary Professor in the Centre for Health Services Studies at the University of Kent, where she was based from 2011 to 2020.
During her tenure at the University of Kent, Kate developed a portfolio of externally funded research and evaluation focused on improving public mental health and wellbeing, reducing stress and burnout in healthcare professionals and supporting people living with long-term conditions and disabilities. She published widely, presented at national and international conferences, supervised PhD students, and directed MSc Programs in Health Psychology and Applied Health Research, also acting as peer reviewer for academic journals and funding bodies, as Chief Examiner for an intercalated BSc in Primary Healthcare Management, and as External Examiner for PhD and Prof Doc programs in Health Psychology. Kate also held leadership roles as Faculty Director of Medical Social Sciences, Kent Academic Lead for the NIHR Research Design Service, and Practitioner Chair for the BPS Division of Health Psychology.
In the NHS, Kate developed, implemented, evaluated and scaled an innovative Diabetes Psychology Service delivered by the charity KCA, which was adopted as part of ongoing service provision and extended to a wider range of long-term conditions. At IQVIA, she acted as a subject matter specialist in behavioural science, working with industry clients and teams across the globe to develop, implement and evaluate interventions to improve patient experience and outcomes.
As Head of Social and Behavioural Research at Cancer Research UK, Kate developed and led a new team delivering a dynamic program of work across health services research, behavioural science and implementation research, working with a range of internal and external partners to translate evidence into policy and practice. She chaired symposia at national and international conferences and served as a steering committee member for Cancer Prevention Europe (IARC, World Health Organization).
Kate is passionate about applying rigorous research and evaluation to impact real-world outcomes. She enjoys working collaboratively and inclusively, drawing on multiple perspectives and methodologies to tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. Alongside her role at CEI, Kate serves as Chair of Trustees for the Sadie Bristow Foundation, a charity working to improve access to information and services for children, families and adults living with allergies.