Helen is a GP and academic conducting obesity research at the University of East Anglia. Over the last 5yrs, she has also worked clinically in specialist weight management services in the East of England. She is a member of the NICE weight management guidelines and quality standards committees and a RCGP clinical advisor. Helen has been an IHP representative on BOMSS council for the last 3yrs and is delighted to have been re-elected into this position. She aims to continue to work with council members, associated committees and the membership to improve the understanding and management of patients who have bariatric surgery within primary care. Helen has a particular interest in long-term post-bariatric surgery care and currently leads an NIHR funded study in this area, and led the multidisciplinary group who developed the BOMSS GP Hub, launched last year. She also aims to further build on this work as well as support more outreach to primary care healthcare professionals.
Dr Emily McBride is a clinical academic Health Psychologist and Behavioural Scientist passionate about obesity management and prevention. She splits her time between NHS practice as Consultant Health Psychologist in Bariatric Surgery at Lewisham Hospital, and academia as a Clinical Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at King’s College London. She has research streams underway in psychological aspects of bariatric surgery and obesity prevention and regularly publishes in peer-reviewed journals.
Prior to this, Emily was Senior Research Fellow at University College London (UCL) where she held an NIHR fellowship and has also worked in other NHS trusts. She has held policy roles such as Senior Behavioural Scientist for the UK Government Department of Health and Social Care, and Policy Lead for the British Psychological Society. She therefore has experience of advising on national obesity management and prevention projects at population level.
Emily holds a PhD in Behavioural Science which she completed between UCL and Yale University as part of a Yale-UCL scholarship, which won her three national awards. She also holds a Doctorate-level degree and MSc in Health Psychology, and BSc (Hons), all of which she completed in Scotland.
