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Dr Helen Hughes

Dr Helen Hughes

Profile

Summary

I am an interdisciplinary organisational psychologist working on complex socio-technical problems where organisational, technological and policy challenges intersect. I was a founding member of the Socio-Technical Centre at Leeds, helping shape its strategy and early research agenda, and I now serve as an Editor at Ergonomics. My work focuses on making socio-technical thinking actionable – through method innovation, cross-disciplinary collaboration and building research infrastructures that help translate evidence into change.

A hallmark of my contribution is turning ideas into scalable capability. I have directed the Business School’s Behaviour Lab facility from its inception, and am co-investigator and co-architect of SUSTAIN, a DHSC/NIHR-funded surgical sustainability test lab at Leeds General Infirmary (launching July 2026) integrating human factors with real-time carbon and performance monitoring. My research portfolio spans NHS technology adoption and scale-up (including ESRC-funded MALT, £1.71m, PI), hybrid working (e.g., Adapting Offices, ESRC, Co-I), a 12 year partnership with Rolls-Royce on advancing engineering capability; and sustainable healthcare (including leading the Surgical Care Observatory within the NIHR Health-Tech Research Centre, Theme Lead). Across these projects I have worked in partnership with organisations ranging from Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust, and the Department for Health & Social Care, the Health Innovation Network, as well as industry partners ranging from Jaguar-Land-Rover, AtkinsRealis, and BBraun, to charitable organisations such as The Colt Foundation and the Alzheimers Society.

Alongside research, I lead and contribute to research-led education and pedagogic innovation across business and organisational psychology, with particular interests in employability, early career transitions and authentic assessment (Understanding Internships; The Future Workplace). I regularly engage with policy and practice communities (e.g., DHSC, HSE, QAA and ISE). My work has been featured in outlets including the BBC, Forbes, the Financial Times, and The Telegraph; and I am a regular BBC radio panellist.

Responsibilities

  • Behaviour Lab Director
  • Academic Lead for External Engagement (Research & Education)
  • NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC): Surgical Care Observatory Theme Lead

Research interests

PhD supervision

I welcome applications from PhD students interested in socio-technical design, complex systems, human factors and behavioural science, particularly where research engages with real organisations and delivers practical impact. Current and prospective topics include:

  • Socio-technical design of work and services in complex systems (e.g., healthcare, safety-critical and high-reliability settings)
  • Human factors and behavioural science to support technology adoption, adaptation and scale-up
  • Designing for new ways of working (including hybrid work), work design and organisational resilience
  • Organisational change, implementation and intervention design in complex socio-technical settings
  • Methods for studying complex systems (e.g., social network analysis, simulation/modelling, mixed methods, behavioural experiments)

Research Funding

2025: Culmer, P. (PI), Peckham-Cooper, A. (PI), Hughes, H.P.N. (Co-I), Turnbull, R. (Researcher), Findlay, E. (Researcher) “SUstainability and Simulation Theatre for Academia and INdustry” Direct funding from Department for Health & Social Care. Collaboration with: Universities of Leeds and LTHT.

2025: Culmer, P. (PI), Peckham-Cooper, A. (PI), Hughes, H.P.N. (Co-I), Turnbull, R. (Researcher), Findlay, E. (Researcher) “SUstainability and Simulation Theatre for Academia and INdustry” NIHR Capital Funding. Collaboration with: Universities of Leeds, Huddersfield, and LTHT.

2024: Surgical Care Observatory Theme Lead in the “NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Accelerated Surgical Care”. National Institute for Health Research (#205280), 60 month project, £2,999,204.

2023: Expert advisor within the ‘NIHR Systems Engineering Innovation hubs for Multiple long-term Conditions (SEISMIC) Programme’, £199,092.

2021: Davis, M.C. (PI), Hughes, H.P.N. (Co-I), Rees, S.J. (Co-I), Wu, C. (Co-I), & Gritt, E. (Co-I). Adapting offices to support COVID-19 secure workplaces and emerging work patterns (Adapting Offices). Economic and Social Research Council (ES/W001764/1). 18 month project, £508,080.

2021: Crowther, G. (PI), Davis, M. (Co-I), Hughes, H. (Co-I), Kelley, R. (Co-I), McKay, A. (Co-I). Applying computer modelling, simulation and socio-technical systems analysis to improve NHS dementia care outcomes. Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Pump Priming Funds. 6 month project, £3160

2020: Hughes, H.P.N. (Equal PI) & Davis, M.C. (Equal PI). Applying computer modelling, simulation and socio-technical systems analysis to improve NHS dementia care outcomes. Leeds University Business School, Challenge Fund. 6 month project, £24,933

2017: Hughes, H.P.N. (PI), Davis, M.C. (Co-I), Robinson, M.A. (Co-I). System Understanding & Sub-System Utopia through Design Integration & Optimisation” (SUSSUDIO). Innovate UK, with Rolls-Royce (#110912). 12 month project, £141,049 (Overall project value: £9,763,306).

2011: Hughes, H.P.N. (Equal PI), Clegg, C.W. (Equal PI). “Overcoming Barriers to Mainstreaming Assisted Living Technologies” (MALT). Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and Economics and Social Research Council (ESRC) (#480926). 36 month project, £757,577 (Overall project value: £1,710,000)

Recognition

2019: Winner of the Faculty Mentor Award in the Leeds University Business School and Leeds University Union Partnership Awards (“The award is for the person who guidance and direction has helped others develop their skills and prospects for the future or who has enabled them to remain on their course”)

2019: University of Leeds Recognition Award (for excellence in Teaching)

2017: Winner of the Liberty Mutual Award, which recognizes the paper published in the journal Ergonomics, that best contributes to the advancement of the practice of ergonomics. The winning paper is selected by the journal’s Editorial Board.

2008: Runner up for the International Award for Excellence in the area of diversity in organizations, communities and nations. The winning journal article is selected by the journal’s International Advisory Board and Review Board.

Qualifications

  • PhD Management
  • MSc Organizational Psychology (Distinction)
  • BSc Psychology (1st class hons)
  • Chartered Occupational Psychologist (BPS)
  • Registered Psychologist (HCPC)

Professional memberships

  • Associate Fellow, British Psychological Society
  • Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) (Chartered Occupational Psychologist
  • Registered Practitioner Psychologist (HCPC)
  • Member of the British Academy of Management
  • Member of the BPS Division of Academics Researchers and Teachers of Psychology (DARTP)
  • Chartered Business and Management Educator
  • Member of the International Network for Social Network Analysis

Student education

Student Education

I design programmes, modules and co-curricular activities that put students inside socio-technical research and practice, building capability in human factors, behavioural science and complex systems thinking. I led the design, development and launch of the MSc Organisational Psychology (2011) and MSc Business Psychology (2013), establishing a coherent, methodologically rigorous spine for applied psychological training in the Business School. I led three British Psychological Society (BPS) accreditation cycles for the MSc Organisational Psychology during my eight year tenure as Programme Director, with the programme receiving several commendations for outstanding practice. More recently, I have led provision of behavioural science education from the Behaviour Lab, and a range of executive education programmes for government, healthcare, and industry clients.

I provide pedagogic leadership with sector reach in work-based learning and employability research. In particular, building on my former role as Academic Lead for Placements in LUBS, I led a cross-university research agenda (Sheffield, Southampton, Nottingham and Leeds) to reconceptualise how competencies are developed and assured during industrial work placements. I frequently write and collaborate on projects relating to the future of work, and the implications for graduate employability.

Student Feedback

“I have loved this module. It is so different to any other module I have taken while at uni ,and I have really enjoyed all the different ways of teaching. It has definitely been my most interesting module” (LUBS3014, 2025/26)

“I enjoyed this module, it was a breath of fresh air and I looked forward to the teaching and the seminars every week. Thank you for being so invested and helping throughout.” (LUBS3014, 2025/26)

Research groups and institutes

  • Workplace Behaviour Research Centre
  • Socio-Technical Centre

Current postgraduate researchers