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Dr Nina Gobat

Research Fellow

Email
gobatnh@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 (0)7913 416 907
Campuses
5th floor, Neuadd Meirionnydd, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4YS

Overview

I am a post-doctoral research fellow with a background in behavioural and health sciences. My current research focuses on identifying solutions to ethical, administrative, regulatory and logistical barriers to pandemic-relevant clinical studies in Europe. This work aims to build and influence a favourable environment for pandemic-relevant clinical studies. Prior to this, my research focused on the design and evaluation of complex interventions in public health and healthcare. I have expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods and in facilitating patient and public involvement in research. Additionally, I have over 15 years of clinical, teaching and supervisory experience and have worked in health service development and management roles.

Biography

I joined the Institute of Primary Care and Public Health as a doctoral student in 2008. My PhD research focused on agenda setting in long term conditions and examined the way in which communication skills help structure the conversation so patients and clinicians work in partnership. Prior to this I worked clinicially and in management or service development roles both in South Africa and for the NHS. My clinical experience is mostly in mental health and addiction treatment. I also provide teaching and supervision in behaviour change counselling and motivational interviewing to multi-disciplinary health professionals for a range of statutory and non-statutory organisations, as well as for research projects.

CAREER OVERVIEW

Academic

  • 2015 - present: Research Fellow, PRIME Centre Wales, Division of Polulation Medicine, Cardiff University
  • 2014-2015: Research Associate, WSPCR, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Cardiff University
  • 2008-2014: Doctoral student, South East Wales Trials Unit, Cardiff University

Clinicial and management  

  • 2012: Comunication Specialist, Individual Suport Programme, Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, Cardiff University
  • 2006-2008: Service manager and practitioner: Early Intervention in Psychosis, North East London Foundation Trust, NHS
  • 2005-2006: Advanced practitioner: mental health services, North East London Mental Health Trust, NHS
  • 2003-2005: Advanced pratitioner: addiction treatment services, Cape Town, South Africa
  • 2000-2003: Senior Occupational Therapist, North East London Mental Health Trust
  • 1999-2000: Occupational Therapist, Psychiatric Day Unit, Cape Town, South Africa

Other

  • 2005 - present: consultancy, training and supervision in Motivational Interviewing for multi-disciplincary clinicians and for research teams 

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

  • 2016: PRINCE2 Project management Foundation and Practitioner certification IXL Learning
  • 2014: PhD – Cochrane Institute of Primary Care and Public Health, Cardiff University, UK
  • 2010: Postgraduate Diploma in Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
  • 1998: BSc Occupational Therapy, University of Cape Town, South Africa 
  • 1994: BA Psychology and Drama, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Professional memberships

  • Health Professions Council
  • Editorial board Motivational Interviewing Treatment, Research, Integration and Practice (MI-TRIP) online journal
  • Peer review and external examining
  • Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT)
  • Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) coding group
  • Postgraduate Research Student Representative for the Clinical Epidemiology IRG 2009-10.

Publications

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2011

  • Merlo, L. J. and Gobat, N. H. 2011. Psychiatric disorders. In: Naar-King, S. and Suarez, M. eds. Motivational interviewing with adolescents and young adults. Applications of motivational interviewing New York: Guilford Press, pp. 119-126.

2010

NEWS

Webinar on behalf of PREPARE WP1 about our assessmet of ethical, administrative, regulatory and logistic (EARL) barriers to the rapid implementation of pandemic-relevant clinical research in Europe  here: https://www.glopid-r.org/clinical-trial-networks/resources/

An update of our work and the EARL toolkit is available on the PREPARE website, see here: https://www.prepare-europe.eu/About-us/Workpackages/Workpackage-1

CURRENT PROJECTS

GRANT FUNDING

  • ERASMUS+ mobility grant through the PHOENIX project (Hall J, PI) to build research capacity regarding epidemic response in Namibia; collaboration with Ilita H, Universtiy of Namibia 
  • Humphries J (PI) Murthy S (Co PI) Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial in Intensive Care (CAPTIC) CIHR-SPOR CAD1.5million
  • Edwards A, Ahmed H, Brain K, Carson-Stevens A, Chestnutt I, Davies F, Francis N, Gal M, Gobat N, Hood K, Hughes K, Joseph-Williams N, Phillips R, Smits S, Spasic I, vs Deursen R, Wood F. Health and Care Research Wales. Wales Centre for Primary and Emergency Care Research. April 2018-April 2020. £1 800 000.
  • Gobat N (PI), Robling M, Sanders J, Paranjothy S. Wellcome Trust. Assessing fidelity to Motivational Interviewing in Public Health Interventions (MI_PHI). 2016. £23 005.00.
  • Gobat N (PI), Evans R, McEwan K, Rollnick S, Murphy S, Robling M, Williams A. Wellcome Trust. Well-being and Health in Schools Project (WHISP): Phase 1. 2016. £23 088.00
  • Scholfield B (PI), GobatN, Reed, H, Fletcher A. Wellcome Trust. Research literacy for the Welsh Baccalaureate: a scoping study. 2016. £18 552.50.
  • Murphy S (PI), Rollnick S, Hawkins J, Gobat N, Hickman M, Wagner C. Medial Research Council (MRC), Public Health Intervention Development (PHIND). GMI_ALC: Developing a teacher training programme for a Group Motivational Interviewing intervention to prevent alcohol misuse in secondary schools. 2015-2016. £143 952.

SELECTION OF PREVIOUS PROJECTS 

  • Blood Stream Infections - Focus On Outcomes (BSI-FOO): NIHR programme grant (Research fellow)
  • Assessing fidelity to Motivational Interviewing in Public Health Interventions (MI_PHI): Wellcome Trust funded (PI) http://www.primecentre.wales/mi-phi.php
  • Well-being and Health in Schools Project (WHISP): Phase 1: Wellcome Trust funded. (PI) http://www.primecentre.wales/whisp.php
  • GMI_ALC: Developing a teacher-training programme for a Group Motivational Interviewing intervention to prevent alcohol misuse in secondary schools. MRC PHIND funded (Co-applicant)  http://www.primecentre.wales/gmi-alc.php
  • Research literacy for the Welsh Baccalaureate: a scoping study. (Co-applicant) http://www.primecentre.wales/research-literacy.php
  • Mam-Kind: A feasibility study of Motivational Interviewing based peer support for breastfeeding maintenance; HTA funded (Research fellow)
  • ENGAGE, RCT a 14-week physical activity intervention compared to a social contact control intervention (qualitative researcher)
  • Building Blocks, a randomised controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP), an intensive home visiting service, added to the care usually provided through primary care, public health and social services to first-time mothers under 19 years of age in England (qualitative researcher)
  • GROMIT: intervention development of group motivational interviewing to promote emotional and physical health in school pupils (process evaluation)
  • WILMA Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults, (intervention delivery and training)
  • DEPICTED, a cluster randomized controlled trial of the effect of the Talking Diabetes consulting skills intervention on glycaemic control and quality of life in children with type 1 diabetes. (process evaluation).

Supervision

Past projects

Engagement

PREPARE conducts medical research in the event of an infectious disease outbreak. Results from PREPARE studies will inform medical professionals regarding diagnosis and treatment of patients with outbreak-related illness. PREPARE results will also inform public health agencies regarding decisions about how to prevent the spread of the disease. PREPARE has active clincial studies across Europe. To make sure our research is person-centred, accessible and relevant to future patients, we have set up a bespoke public panel to advise us on key aspects of study design and dissemination. In the event of an infectious disease outbreak, we would rapidly call on this panel to help us as we would need to set up studies as quickly as possible.

The panel meet quarterly in Cardiff and is coordinated by Nina Gobat, Angela Watkins and Micaela Gal. Based on this model, an additiona panel is being set up in Dublin and in Melbourne to advise PREPARE studies active in those regions.