Your Health Psychology MSc teaching team

The Psychology teaching team have many years’ experience in psychology and they understand the pressures of balancing study around work and family commitments.

Dr Amy Baraniak
Dr Amy Baraniak
Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology

Amy is Programme Director for our MSc Health Psychology programmes (campus and online). She is also involved in supervising undergraduate and postgraduate student projects.

Professor James Elander
Professor of Health Psychology

James Elander is an HCPC-registered health psychologist who conducts research on chronic illnesses including haemophilia, sickle cell disease, end-stage renal disease, spinal pain, and dysmenorrhea. He also has a longstanding interest in the psychology of learning and teaching, especially student writing.

Dr Daniel Gaffiero
Lecturer in Health Psychology

Dr Daniel Gaffiero is a Lecturer in Health Psychology at the University of Derby. His primary research interest concerns the role of cognitive biases (attention, interpretation and memory) in the aetiology and maintenance of chronic pain. 

Professor David Sheffield
Professor of Psychology

David Sheffield is a Professor of Psychology at the College of Health, Psychology and Social Care. He is also Head of Research and Director of Professional Psychology Programmes at the University of Derby Online Learning. He also supervises PhD and Doctorate students. David's work has helped us to understand the impact of stress and pressure on health, wellbeing and performance.

Paul Staples
Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Paul is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby. He has been teaching psychology for the past 27 years, initially at the University of Manchester, then at Staffordshire University and from 2006 here at the University of Derby.

Dr Vicki Staples in front of a bookcase in her office.
Dr Vicki Staples
Programme Director for MSc Health Psychology

Vicki is a Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology and the programme director of the MSc Health Psychology Programme. She is a Chartered Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.