Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
I'm interested in how to help people with chronic health conditions (primarily respiratory disease, although I also work with other conditions) using non-pharmacological treatments. I'm Deputy Director of the Bath Centre for Mindfulness and Compassion.
I started research with the MRC/ESRC, looking at how psychological interventions (like mindfulness) changed cognitions and emotions for people with anxiety. I then started working with people with asthma, working to understand their asthma in order to develop effective psychological and behavioural interventions, spending 2 years as an NIHR Postdoctoral Fellow with the NIHR School of Primary Care.
A lot of my research uses digital technologies (apps and websites) in order to help people with respiratory disease, and this has lead to another research interest in developing new analytical frameworks to measure and understand how (and why) people 'engage' with treatments, and how treatments can be optimised accordingly.
I co-lead the Germ Defence study - a digital intervention to improve infection control behaviours in the home. Germ Defence was one of the UK government funded projects to change behaviour and halt the spread of COVID-19. It's been used by more than 400,000 people in the UK and translated into 25+ languages.
Teaching interests
I teach both undergraduates and post-graduates, although mainly the MSc Health Psychology course, in particular developing an understanding of target populations to develop effective interventions.
Willing to supervise doctoral students
I am currently able to supervise PhD students.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
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):
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Development and initial piloting of a mindfulness intervention to support an NIHR RfPB feasibility study in patients with COPD
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
1/10/21 → 10/06/22
Project: Central government, health and local authorities
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my Smart COPD exacerbation management
National Institute for Health Research
1/09/21 → 31/08/24
Project: Central government, health and local authorities
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Development and evaluation of an online FeNO-guided primary care asthma management intervention
National Institute for Health Research
3/02/20 → 2/02/25
Project: Central government, health and local authorities
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RECUR
National Institute for Health Research
1/07/19 → 31/12/24
Project: Central government, health and local authorities
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A feasibility trial of a digital mindfulness-based intervention to improve asthma-related quality of life for primary care patients with asthma
Ainsworth, B., Stanescu, S., Stuart, B., Russell, D., Liddiard, M., Djukanovic, R. & Thomas, M., 28 Feb 2022, In: Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 45, p. 133–147Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
A qualitative study exploring the barriers to attending structured education programmes among adults with Type 2 Diabetes
Coningsby, I., Dack, C. & Ainsworth, B., 25 Apr 2022, In: BMC Health Services Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Qualitative study on perceptions of use of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) in asthma reviews
Santillo, M., Ainsworth, B., Van Velthoven, M. H., Yardley, L., Thomas, M., Wang, K. & Tonkin-Crine, S., 21 Mar 2022, In: npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine. 32, 13.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Sensory Feedback for Upper-Limb Prostheses: Opportunities and Barriers
Jabban, L., Dupan, S., Zhang, D., Ainsworth, B., Nazarpour, K. & Metcalfe, B., 15 Mar 2022, In: IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering. 30, p. 738-747Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Student Priorities for Well-being Support at University: A Mixed-Methods Exploration following the Person-Based Approach
Remskar, M., Atkinson, M., Marks, E. & Ainsworth, B., 31 Jan 2022, (Acceptance date) In: Stress and Health.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review