Dr Sofia Barbosa Boucas
Reader (Education) in Psychology

Summary

Dr Sofia Barbosa Boucas is a respected academic with extensive experience in psychology and education. She joined Brunel University London in January 2018, following a distinguished career path that reflects her dedication to research and teaching.

Prior to her appointment at Brunel, Dr Barbosa Boucas held positions at respected academic institutions, where she made significant contributions to the field. She conducted post-doctoral research and served as a Teaching Associate at the School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences, and the Department of Food & Nutritional Sciences, School of Chemistry, Food & Pharmacy, University of Reading. Subsequently, she held a post-doctoral research position in Allied Health Research at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton.

In 2013, Dr Barbosa Boucas transitioned into an academic role as a Lecturer in Health Psychology at Oxford Brookes University. Her commitment to advancing knowledge in the field of health psychology was evident throughout her appointment. In 2015, she continued her academic journey as a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Buckinghamshire New University, where she further honed her expertise in teaching and research.

Currently, Dr Barbosa Boucas holds the position of Reader (Education) in Psychology within the Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences at Brunel University London. In this role, she continues to contribute to the academic community through her research endeavours and her dedication to providing high-quality education to students.

With her extensive background and commitment to academic excellence, Dr Barbosa Boucas is a valued member of the academic community at Brunel University London.

Qualifications

• Licenciate [Licenciatura] in Psychology, specialising in Psychotherapy and Counselling - University of Lisbon [Universidade de Lisboa], Portugal
• Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PCTHE) - Oxford Brookes University
• MSc in Research Methods in Psychology - University of Reading
• PhD in Psychology - University of Reading

Responsibility

CURRENT - BRUNEL UNIVERSITY LONDON:

• Member of the University Education and Student Experience Committee
• Member of the University Senate
• Chair of the Panel of Examiners and Board of Examiners for BSc Occupational Therapy
• Recognised Programme Developer (Supporting Programme Development Teams; Programme Review and Approval Panel Member and Panel Chair)
• Ad-hoc Panel Member of the Recruitment Panel for the Department of Life Sciences and the Department of Health Sciences
• Research Methods for Research in Education Lead (Part of the CHMLS Education Research Hub)
• Psychology Inter-Professional Learning (IPL) Champion
• Psychology Teaching Exercise Framework (TEF) Coordinator
• British Psychological Society (BPS) Accreditation Liaison
• Psychology Academic Skills Lead
• Psychology Lead Education Academic
• Psychology Admissions Tutor (maternity-leave cover)
• Brunel Pathway College (BPC) Psychology Liaison Tutor
• Academic Professional Development Unit (APDU) Advisory Panel Member
• APEX/AFHEA and FHEA Mentor and Reviewer
• Member of the Brunel Academy for the Transformation of Teaching Steering Committee
• Fellow of the Brunel Academy for the Transformation of Teaching
• Mental Health First Aider

CURRENT - EXTERNAL:

• External Examiner for MSc Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health and MSc Applied Neuroscience (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London)
• Chief External Examiner for Psychology UG Programmes (BSc Psychology, BSc Forensic Psychology, and BSc Sport and Exercise Psychology) (Coventry University)
• Governor of the Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC; former Harrow College and Uxbridge College – HCUC)
  • Governor Member of the Quality Curriculum and Student Committee
  • Governor Member of the Curriculum Enhancement Working Group
  • Governor Member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee
• Visiting Fellow to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton
  • Co-Investigator for the ‘Osteoarthritis Thumb Therapy trial: A randomised controlled trial into the effectiveness and efficacy of splints in thumb-base osteoarthritis’ study (PI: Professor Joanna Adams, University of Southampton)

PAST - BRUNEL UNIVERSITY LONDON:

• Member of the Department of Life Sciences Management Board
• Department of Life Sciences Senior Tutor
• Chair of Sports, Health & Exercise Sciences UG Panel of Examiners
• Chair of Sports, Health & Exercise Sciences UG Board of Examiners (FHEQ Level 6)
• Chair of the Psychology Board of Studies
• CHMLS Education Research Hub Lead (January-April 2022)
• Programme Lead for Psychology UG Programmes (August 2018-December 2021)
• Psychology UG Programme FHEQ Level 5 and Level 6 Coordinator
• Psychology Exchange Programme Liaison
• Psychology Academic Misconduct Investigator
• Psychology National Student Survey (NSS) Champion
• Psychology 2023/24 Clearing Decision Maker (supporting the Psychology Admissions Tutor)
• Research Participation Pool (SONA System) Coordinator (paternity-leave cover)
• Member of the Academic Governance Working Group
• Ad-hoc Panel Member of the Probation, Promotion and Recruitment Panels for the Department of Life Sciences and the Department of Health Sciences
• Ad-hoc Member of the Recruitment Panel for the Brunel Medical School and the Department of Education
• Member of the Education and Student Experience Strategy – Active and Blended Enabling Group
• Member of the Assessment Descriptors Task and Finish Group
• Member of the Framework for MRes Degrees Task and Finish Group
• Member of the Extenuating Circumstances Operational Best Practice Group
• Member of the Longstanding Conditions & Chronic Illnesses Policy Working Group
• Member of the Student Rep Project Group
• Member of the Learning and Teaching Festival Task and Finish Group
• Project-Lead for ‘Awarding Gap in Psychology’ (Part of the Access and Participation Research and Evaluation Funding)
• Member of ‘Awarding Gap in Health & Life Sciences’ Project (Part of the Access and Participation Research and Evaluation Funding)
• Consultant to the Lead of ‘Understanding the BAME Awarding Gap in Psychology’ Project (Part of the Psychology EDI Committee)
• ‘Open Teaching’ Project Lead
• ‘Teaching Evaluation’ Project Lead
• Member of the New Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP) Developing Team
• Psychology Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) Coordinator

PAST - EXTERNAL:

• Member of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) Psychology Subject Benchmark Statement Review Advisory Group (Published September 2023)
• External Reviewer Panel Member for the BSc Neuroscience Programme Review (Middlesex University; 2021/22) (BUL)
• External Reviewer Panel Member for the Periodic Review for Psychology (University of Liverpool; 2021/22) (BUL)
• External Academic Advisor Panel Member for the Course Validation/Re-Approval for BSc Psychology (University of Suffolk; 2021/22) (BUL)
• Research Affiliate to the Department of Psychology, Social Work and Public Health, Oxford Brookes University
• Unit of Assessment Lead for Psychology (REF 2021) (BNU)
• Research & Enterprise Committee Member (BNU)
• Member of the Psychology Research Ethics Committee (BNU)
• Research Ethics Officer (OBU)
• Member of the Psychology Curriculum Review Working Group (OBU)
• Member of the Marketing and Psychology Degree Working Group (OBU)
• Member of the Adult Cognition Research Group (OBU)
• Member of the Applied Social Psychology Research Group (OBU)
• Member of the Women’s Health Research Group (OBU)
• Member of the COST Action TD1006 European Network on Robotics for Neuro-Rehabilitation Group (UoS)
• Mentor for the EULAR Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Health Professionals Mentorship Programme (UoS)
• External Expert for the Evaluation of Action Proposals for the COST Association (UoS)
• Ad-hoc Manuscript Reviewer for ‘Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition’; ‘Appetite’ (UoR)
• Grant Proposal Peer Reviewer for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (UoR)

While at: Brunel University London (BUL); Buckinghamshire New University (BNU); Oxford Brookes University (OBU); University of Southampton (UoS); University of Reading (UoR).