Brian Fenech is a PhD student in health psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London, investigating the psychosocial and behavioural determinants of breast cancer screening uptake in England and Malta.

His doctoral research adopts a multi-phase, mixed-methods approach to understand screening engagement and develop behaviourally informed interventions to improve participation among non-attenders.

Brian holds an MSc in Psychology and an MSc in Health Psychology (BPS Stage 1), and is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA).

Prior to transitioning into psychology, he held senior leadership roles in finance and strategy across healthcare, government, telecommunications and consultancy, including PwC, the NHS and Vodafone.

His interdisciplinary background provides a unique perspective on behaviour change, health inequalities, health systems, and implementation.His current research focuses on breast cancer screening behaviour, behavioural science, preventive health, intervention development, and health inequalities.

He has published work on barriers and facilitators to breast screening uptake in Malta and is particularly interested in translating psychological theory into practical interventions that improve health outcomes and healthcare engagement.

Brian is supervised by Dr Daniel Gaffiero (King’s College London), Dr Amy Baraniak (University of Derby), and Dr Brenda Caldwell-Phillips (University of Derby). His PhD project is titled: “A programme of research investigating the psychosocial and behavioural determinants of breast cancer screening uptake among eligible women in Malta and England."

Research interests

• Breast cancer screening
• Behaviour change
• Health psychology
• Cancer prevention
• Screening uptake
• Health inequalities

Expertise and public engagement

Brian Fenech specialises in health psychology, behaviour change, and preventive health, particularly in relation to breast cancer screening uptake and the psychosocial factors influencing health behaviour.

His research focuses on applying behavioural science to increase uptake in cancer screening and other preventive health practices. Brian is dedicated to translating psychological theory into practical, evidence-based interventions that aim to improve health outcomes and increase engagement with healthcare. He has authored peer-reviewed research in breast cancer screening and health psychology, and is an active contributor to professional health psychology networks.