Wellbeing and Societal Transformation: Embedding Wellbeing Science into Policy, Interventions, and Governance
Dr Lowri Wilkie
Pathway: Psychology
Department: School of Psychology
University: Swansea University
Mentor: Professor Andrew Kemp
Project Summary
My postdoctoral fellowship will consolidate and extend my research in wellbeing science, advancing its integration into healthcare, policy, and community practice. Grounded in the GENIAL framework—a biopsychosocial model linking individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing—my PhD produced the first large-scale network meta-analysis of wellbeing interventions. I also evaluated community-based wellbeing models such as Local Area Coordination, and embedded wellbeing-focused care in neurorehabilitation services. Building on this foundation, my fellowship will focus on translating these findings into further academic, clinical, and policy impact. I will publish key PhD outputs, including the network meta-analysis and a theoretical paper on wellbeing. I will also produce a policy document offering evidence-based recommendations for embedding wellbeing science into healthcare systems to address the growing burden of chronic disease. Alongside this, I will undertake training in economic evaluation to strengthen the practical and financial relevance of wellbeing policies, and collaborate with the University of Melbourne’s Contemplative Studies Centre to expand international research partnerships.
Goals for the Fellowship
Through this fellowship, I aim to achieve four key goals. First, I will publish my PhD research to strengthen the empirical foundations of wellbeing science and inform future intervention design. Second, I will undertake training in economic evaluation and policy analysis, enabling me to integrate wellbeing evidence with cost-effectiveness data for more persuasive policy translation. Third, I will co-develop a policy document with Welsh Government, Public Health Wales, and NHS partners, outlining actionable strategies for embedding wellbeing principles into healthcare planning and chronic disease prevention. Finally, I will build sustained international collaborations through a research visit to the University of Melbourne, engaging with experts in wellbeing and contemplative research. Given the current global challenges to health, social cohesion, and sustainability, these goals aim to help embed the wellbeing of people and planet into governance and policy.
Advice for future applicants
My advice to future applicants is to think ambitiously about the societal impact of your research. We face urgent global challenges—climate change, inequality, and widespread disconnection—and academic work must contribute to solutions. I believe researchers have a responsibility to use science to help people and the planet in practical, evidence-based ways. When designing your proposal, focus on how your work can drive real change: influence systems, inform policy, and strengthen communities. Consider who benefits, how findings will be applied, and how collaboration can amplify impact. Research should go beyond knowledge generation to create meaningful, measurable improvements in wellbeing and sustainability. Thinking this way not only strengthens your application but gives your work genuine purpose and lasting value.
Publications
Journal Articles
Arroyo, P., Wilkie, L., Davies, E., Fisher, Z., & Kemp, A. H. (2024). Thriving in the wake of a storm: A systematic qualitative review & meta-synthesis on facilitating post-traumatic growth in patients living with Acquired Brain Injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2024.2356891
Gibbs, K., Wilkie, L., Jarman, J., Barker-Smith, A., Kemp, A. H., & Fisher, Z. (2022). Riding the wave into wellbeing: A qualitative evaluation of surf therapy for individuals living with acquired brain injury. PloS One, 17(4), e0266388. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266388
Tulip, C., Fisher, Z., Bankhead, H., Wilkie, L., et al. (2020). Building wellbeing in people with chronic conditions: A qualitative evaluation of an 8-week positive psychotherapy intervention. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 66. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00066
Wilkie, L., Arroyo, P., Conibeer, H., Kemp, A. H., & Fisher, Z. (2021). The impact of psycho-social interventions on the wellbeing of individuals with acquired brain injury during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 648286. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648286
Wilkie, L., Fisher, Z., & Kemp, A. H. (2022). The ‘Rippling’ Waves of Wellbeing: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Surf-Therapy Intervention on Patients with Acquired Brain Injury. Sustainability, 14(15), 9605. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159605
Wilkie, L., Fisher, Z., & Kemp, A. H. (2022). The Complex Construct of Wellbeing and the Role of Vagal Function. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 16, 925664. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2022.925664
Wilkie, L., Roderick, S., Fisher, Z., Dray, A., Granger, P., & Kemp, A. H. (2025). Improving Wellbeing Through Local Communities: A Mixed Methods Study on the Role of Relationship Building.Journal of Happiness Studies. 10.1007/s10902-025-00871-x
Wilkie, L., Fisher, Z., Kemp, A. H., Charles, S., & Fletcher, J. (2025). ‘We’re not daft, we’re not stupid, we can still learn’–the impact of informal science learning on wellbeing in acquired brain injury. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2025.2556047
Book Chapters
Fisher, Z., Wilkie, L., Hamill, A., & Kemp, A.H. (2024). Theories of wellbeing, practical applications, and implications for coaching. In The Wellbeing Coaches Handbook. Routledge. DOI:10.4324/9781003319016-4
Wilkie, L. (2023). Posttraumatic Growth in Acquired Brain Injury. In The Routledge International Handbook of Posttraumatic Growth. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032208688-41
Website: https://www.lowriwilkie.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lowri-wilkie-827530140
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8446-4926
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lowri-Wilkie
Email: l.s.wilkie@swansea.ac.uk