The Behavioural Science Unit (BSU) is based in the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on ‘Investment for Health and Wellbeing’, Policy and International Health Directorate, Public Health Wales. We provide specialist expertise on behavioural science, and champion and enable the increasingly routine application of it, to improve health and wellbeing in Wales.
Our team
Ashley Gould
Ashley is a Consultant in Public Health, and Programme Director of the Unit. He is responsible for the strategic leadership and co-ordination of the Unit’s work, providing specialist policy, technical and ad-hoc support and developing capability and system capacity in using behavioural science to improve health and well-being. He is Co-Chair of the Risk Communication and Behavioural Insights Sub Group of the Welsh Government COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group, and has been a member of the group through acute response to the pandemic. Previously Ashley led the Wales tobacco control system, that delivered five years of consecutive growth in the proportion of smokers choosing to quit with NHS support – attained in part through behaviourally-informed campaigning and systems improvement. Outside of work, he’s got four children….lives in Beacons National Park, and coaches age-grade rugby.
Jonathan West
Jon manages the team, leading our research programme and academic network, mobilising and connecting behavioural science expertise and resources where they can be used to improve impact benefitting the people of Wales. Jon is proud to be a Member of the Faculty of Public Health by Distinction in recognition for almost 25 years service to public health in a variety of core public health roles in England and Wales, at local, regional and national levels. He’s worked on a large number of population behaviour change projects from insight gathering, through intervention development and implementation to evaluation. Prior to this post Jon was Head of Behaviour Change and Public Information in the Health Improvement Division of Public Health Wales, providing behaviour change expertise across a range of topics. During the pandemic Jon provided specialist behavioural science support to infection prevention and control efforts across NHS and Welsh Government and was a member of the Risk Communication and Behavioural Insight sub-group of TAG.
Dr Nicky Knowles
Dr Nicky Knowles joined the WHO CC in February 2022 and currently works within the Behavioural Science Unit as a Principal Behavioural Science Specialist. Nicky is a HCPC Registered Health Psychologist and Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Nicky’s role focuses on increasing behavioural science capability and capacity across the system with a view to maximising the impact of public health policies, services, and communications. Nicky also leads the system wide Behavioural Science Community of Practice for Wales. Nicky has over twenty years’ experience in the health and social care sector working for a number of providers, within a variety of settings, and with diverse populations, in both operational and strategic roles. Within public health, Nicky’s portfolio has included Tobacco Control, Substance Misuse and Whole System Approaches to Obesity. Through this experience Nicky has developed, delivered and evaluated a range of evidence based, behaviour change interventions and policies at individual, community and population levels. In her spare time, Nicky loves yoga, walking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Alice Cline
Alice joined Public Health Wales as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist in February 2022, initially working within health protection with a focus on vaccine uptake – Alice moved to the Behavioural Science Unit in August and now supports work involving climate change, the Healthy Weight Healthy Wales strategy and capability building. Alice has worked on a broad range of topics including increasing uptake of the HPV vaccine, improving access to services as a response to the Cost of Living Crisis, safe anti-biotic prescribing in healthcare settings, and weight management motivation and goal-setting. Prior to Public Health Wales, Alice worked in local government whilst completing her PhD, which explored how behavioural science could be used to help increase levels of physical activity within primary school classrooms. Her interests include qualitative research, evaluation and impact, intervention design, and her sprocker spaniel Hugo.
Paulina Kuczynska
Paulina joined Public Health Wales as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist in March 2023. Paulina will lead the provision of specialist behavioural science support to Health Protection in this joint post between the Behavioural Science Unit and Health Protection Training and Guidance Team. Previously, Paulina worked in a behavioural science role for Suffolk County Council, developing the behavioural science curriculum and delivered a series of behavioural science learning sessions to increase capability amongst staff to use behavioural science in their practice; adopting collaborative approach to developing bespoke tools for staff such as behaviourally informed script and Motivational Interviewing in vaccine hesitancy training for the Contact Team. Paulina has significant strategic experience leading on health protection agenda in London boroughs and local government working with multiple stakeholders and ethnically diverse communities. Additionally, she has gathered important frontline experience working in acute mental health and prison drug and alcohol services, which aids her understanding of service provision and behavioural problems ‘on the ground’.
James Smolinski
James is a Trainee Health Psychologist undertaking the Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University. He joined the WHO CC in July 2023 as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist based within the Behavioural Science Unit at Public Health Wales. James is passionate about improving mental health, physical health and community/social connectedness. In his spare time he enjoys travelling, films, music and reading.
Jason Roberts
Jason joined Public Health Wales in September 2022, and joined the Behavioural Science Unit in July 2023 as Senior Behaviour Science Research and Evaluation Officer. He is currently completing his PhD thesis at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, which examines the emergence of politically partisan news outlets. He has an MSc Social Science Research Methods and a BA in Journalism Studies, also both from Cardiff University. His research interests include examining resistance to behaviour change and other Public Health initiatives, as well as discourse analysis of digital communication. In his spare time, he enjoys attending gigs and festivals of all types, as well as walking and cycling in nature.
Jennifer Thomas
Jen joined Public Health Wales in October 2024 as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist within the Behavioural Science Unit. Jen is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, having completed a PhD in the field of Health Psychology. Her previous research involved designing and evaluating physical activity-based interventions for promoting mental health and behaviour change of socially disadvantaged young people. More broadly, Jen is interested in implementation and process evaluation of complex interventions, and utilising mixed-methods to explore ‘what works’ (or doesn’t work!), for whom, in what context. Outside if work, Jen enjoys playing rounders in a local league, and Gower walks with her White Swiss Shepherd dog.
Melda Lois Griffiths
Lois first joined Public Health Wales as part of the Research and Evaluation team in June 2021 and conducted both quantitative and qualitative research into both the relationship between employment and health, and children and young people’s mental health. She has a background in psychology and completed her PhD on the ways in which it could be applied to shape dietary choices in 2022. She moved over to the Behavioural Science Unit in October 2024, and now works as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist, applying her research and evaluation skills to the development of behavioural insights and the evaluation of interventions. Outside of work, she’s a keen musician and writer.
Olivia Palmer
Olivia joined the Behavioural Science Unit as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist in November 2024. She will be contributing to the work to build capacity and capability in behavioural science nationally. Previously Olivia worked in an NHS Mental Health Trust as part of an NHS England pilot embedding behavioural science to support workforce transformation. She also worked in a digital healthcare startup working with groups and individuals to support them to manage Type 2 Diabetes. Her interests are firmly rooted in health behaviour change and co-development with stakeholders to support development, implementation and evaluation of interventions. She also loves anything outdoors and is glad to have landed in a team with a shared interest in campervans!
Amy Stabler
Amy joined Public Health Wales in 2019 and recently transitioned to the Behavioural Science Team in September 2024. With a Level 4 qualification in Project Management and extensive experience in the public sector, Amy brings strong project management expertise to her role. Her background enables her to effectively oversee project timelines, resources, and team coordination, ensuring successful project outcomes. Amy is also committed to promoting inclusion and accessibility, demonstrating leadership through her voluntary role as Co-Chair of the PHW Staff Disability Network, where she advocates for inclusive practices within the organization. In her personal time, she enjoys crocheting, baking, and spending quality time with family.