Dr Lauren Powell

BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, FHEA

School of Education

Lecturer in Psychology and Education

EDU - photo of lauren powell
Profile picture of EDU - photo of lauren powell
l.a.powell@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 8179

Full contact details

Dr Lauren Powell
School of Education
Edgar Allen House
241 Glossop Rd
Sheffield
S10 2GW
Research interests

Lauren’s research interests focus on the psychoeducation of young people with neurodisabilities. She is also interested in the use of innovative co-design methodologies in the design of complex interventions of children and young people with neurodisabilities. She is currently leading a project that involves the development of a psychoeducational resource for autistic children and young people in collaboration with the Lab4Living at Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Derby and NIHR Children and Young People MedTech. She is also involved in psychoeducational interventions for children and young people with mental health difficulties across Yorkshire.

Her previous related work has involved the development of a psychoeducational resource for young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and this resource is now being used by a number of NHS Trusts, schools and charities across the UK. 

Her previous systematic review work has focused on the effectiveness of existing psychoeducational interventions for children with ADHD, the level of evidence and suitability of available technologies for children and young people with ADHD to self manage their condition and more recently the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions for autistic children. Lauren has also conducted a realist evaluation to co-develop a set of recommendations to inform the future development of complex interventions for children and young people with ADHD.

She is interested in developing collaborations with those who are interested in developing psychoeducational interventions for adolescents with neurodisabilities such as ADHD and Autism as well as the psychoeducational needs of teachers.

Publications

Journal articles

Teaching interests

Lauren is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and teaches across the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the School of Education including the BA Education, Culture and Childhood, MA Education and MSc in Psychology and Education (Conversion). Lauren's teaching in the School focuses on child psychology, psychoeducation, research methods and paediatric neurodisabilities.

Prior to joining the School of Education, she was a Research Associate in the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), also at the University of Sheffield. Within this role she taught modules around research methods and ethical issues in research across the Clinical Research and Public Health masters programmes. She was also involved in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students and provided a number of lectures to Allied Health Professionals at Sheffield Hallam University around the use of technology in healthcare.

Lauren is interested in supervising PhD students adopting predominantly qualitative methods who would like to study in the following areas:

- Co-design methods.

- Psychoeducation for children and young people with neurodisabilities and or their carers/supporters e.g. teachers, clinicians, parents/carers.

- Learning experiences of people diagnosed with or who identify as having a neurodisability.

- How adolescents with neurodisabilities (e.g ADHD or Autism) would like to access psychoeducational information.

- What motivates adults to seek a diagnosis of a neurodisability such as ADHD and autism.

Professional activities and memberships
  • Member of the iHuman group
  • Member of the editorial board for the British Journal of Educational Technology
  • Lauren is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
  • Research Cluster lead for the School of Education's Education and Psychology Research Cluster.