After completing my undergraduate Psychology degree at the University of Huddersfield, I went on to do the MSc in Health Psychology at Staffordshire University - graduating in 2001. From September 2001 to February 2007, I worked as a researcher within the School of Human & Health Sciences (situated within the Centre for Evidenced Based Healthcare, the Ageing and Mental Health Research Group and latterly the Centre for Health and Social Care Research). In February 2007 I joined the dept of Behavioural Sciences as a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Course Leader for Sport & Exercise Psychology. In 2009 I completed my PhD achieving no corrections and received the Vice-chancellors prize for an outstanding doctoral thesis.  I remain an active researcher.

Teaching Responsibilities

Module co-ordinator for:

• HIB1047 Health Psychology (HUD, UCB & UCO).

Contribute to:

• HFB 2007 Perspectives in Psychology (HUD)
• HIB1047 Health Psychology (HUD, UCB)
• HHB 1071 Health and Wellbeing (UCB)
• HHB1020 Final year projects

My broad research interests lie within Health Psychology, Health & Social Care and the use of qualitative methods. My PhD research was concerned with palliative paediatric care — the lived experiences of children with life-limiting conditions and their parents.

Since 2007 my research efforts have been concentrated on my PhD studies and since the completion of my PhD in 2009, I have continued to explore palliative care projects. In 2009, I received university innovation funding to look at research ethics in Cuba. This work enabled me to forge links with academics and professionals in Cuba who are also interested in palliative care studies. After a delay in collaboration due to having two maternity leaves in very close succession, we are now exploring a number of projects looking at community care and the support and care received by distinct populations in Cuba. In the UK I am also exploring the feasibility of conducting Dignity Therapy studies with younger populations.

2009

Rodriguez, A. and King, N. (2009) ‘The lived experience of parenting a child with a life-limiting condition: A focus on the mental health realm’ Palliative and Supportive Care , 7 (01), pp. 7-12. ISSN 1478-9515

Rodriguez, A (2009) We are here for a good time not a long time: Being and caring for a child with a life-limiting condition Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield.

2008

Hall, C., Gibbs, G., Balen, R., Masson, H. and Rodriguez, A. (2008) ‘The usefulness of coding in the Victoria Climbie Data Corpus: a reply to Taylor’ Qualitative Research , 8 (5), pp. 635-640. ISSN 14687941

2007

Rodriguez, A. and King, N. (2007) ‘The lived experience of parenting a child with a life limiting condition: A focus on the mental health realm’. In: Report 10th Congress of the EAPC, 7-9 June 2007, Budapest, Hungary , p. 17

• On being a terminally ill patient
• The impact of becoming a young widow(er) and how life is reconceptualised.
• The loss of a child and its affect on parenting othe/future children.
• Palliative care in elderly populations.
• Dignity therapy for younger populations.
• Palliative care overseas.

Current PhD Student project areas:

Becoming a chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist (Andrew Hooton)

Physical activity & Q.O.L. in Psychosis patients (Jacqueline Hargreaves)

Palliative Care in the community (Beth Hardy)

The fluidity of bi-sexuality (Sarah Jane Robinson)