University of
Leicester
University of Leicester is a leading UK institution known for world-class research, high-quality teaching, and a strong commitment to widening access to higher education. Ranked 30th in the Times Higher Education analysis of the UK’s 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) – a rise of 23 places since 2014 – the University has earned international recognition for research excellence. Over half of its research is rated as “world-leading” for impact, and its work in Clinical Medicine is ranked 2nd in the United Kingdom.
Within IMPROVE PRETERM, the University of Leicester leads the development and validation of the PARCA-5/7 tool, a new parent-reported measure designed to assess children’s development at ages 5 to 7. This work is carried out by researchers from the Department of Population Health Sciences and the School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, who bring expertise in developmental psychology, psychometrics, and public health. Their leadership ensures that the new tool is robust, reliable, and accessible to families and clinicians across Europe.
Samantha Johnson
Samantha is a developmental psychologist and Professor of Child Development in the School of Healthcare, University of Leicester. She leads a programme of research focused on understanding and improving long term outcomes following high risk birth. Her research includes scale development, longitudinal birth cohort studies and clinical trials of neonatal and early developmental interventions.
John Maltby
John Maltby is a psychologist and Professor in the School of Healthcare at the University of Leicester. His programme of research is focused on understanding psychological resilience, wellbeing, and behaviour change across health and applied contexts. His work includes psychometric scale development, fundamental science on psychological influences on key health and wellbeing outcomes, and the application of psychological theory to healthcare, public health, and policy-relevant challenges.
Megan Foulkes
Megan is a Developmental Psychologist and Research Associate in the School of Healthcare, University of Leicester. Her work focuses on children’s cognition and educational outcomes, including how factors such as preterm birth and access to educational resources shape development. She is also interested in the use, creation and validation of innovative methods for measuring child development.
Jayne Spiller
Dr Jayne Spiller is a lecturer within the School of Psychology and Vision Sciences. Her research interests include long-term outcomes for children born preterm. Other interests include sleep in children, how to optimise interventions, and the impact of sleep on cognition and mental health.