The Behavioural Science Unit (BSU) is based in the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on ‘Investment for Health and Wellbeing’, Policy and International Health Directorate, Public Health Wales. We provide specialist expertise on behavioural science, and champion and enable the increasingly routine application of it, to improve health and wellbeing in Wales.
Our team
Ashley Gould
Ashley is a Consultant in Public Health, and Programme Director of the Unit. He is responsible for the strategic leadership and co-ordination of the Unit’s work, providing specialist policy, technical and ad-hoc support and developing capability and system capacity in using behavioural science to improve health and well-being. He is Co-Chair of the Risk Communication and Behavioural Insights Sub Group of the Welsh Government COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group, and has been a member of the group through acute response to the pandemic. Previously Ashley led the Wales tobacco control system, that delivered five years of consecutive growth in the proportion of smokers choosing to quit with NHS support – attained in part through behaviourally-informed campaigning and systems improvement. Outside of work, he’s got four children….lives in Beacons National Park, and coaches age-grade rugby.
Jonathan West
Jon manages the team, leading our research programme and academic network, mobilising and connecting behavioural science expertise and resources where they can be used to improve impact benefitting the people of Wales. Jon is proud to be a Member of the Faculty of Public Health by Distinction in recognition for almost 25 years service to public health in a variety of core public health roles in England and Wales, at local, regional and national levels. He’s worked on a large number of population behaviour change projects from insight gathering, through intervention development and implementation to evaluation. Prior to this post Jon was Head of Behaviour Change and Public Information in the Health Improvement Division of Public Health Wales, providing behaviour change expertise across a range of topics. During the pandemic Jon provided specialist behavioural science support to infection prevention and control efforts across NHS and Welsh Government and was a member of the Risk Communication and Behavioural Insight sub-group of TAG.
Katarina Chacon
Kat graduated Swansea Metropolitan University with a BA (Hons) in Design for Advertising. She joined as PA to Ashley Gould in October 2021 and has an administration background in both public and private sectors. Kat is a creative who loves music and being sustainable, so started her own business this year making festival hats using upcycled materials.
Nicky Knowles
Nicky joined the WHO CC in February 2022 as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist based within the Behavioural Science Unit at Public Health Wales. Nicky is a trainee Health Psychologist currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University. Nicky’s role focuses on increasing behavioural science capability and capacity across the system with a view to maximising the impact of public health policies, services, and communications. Nicky has twenty years’ experience in the health and social care sector working for a number of providers, within a variety of settings, and with diverse populations, in both operational and strategic roles. Within public health, Nicky’s portfolio has included Tobacco Control, Substance Misuse and Whole System Approaches to Obesity. Through this experience Nicky has developed, delivered and evaluated a range of evidence based, behaviour change interventions and policies at individual, community and population levels. In her spare time, Nicky loves yoga, walking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Alice Cline
Alice joined Public Health Wales as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist in February 2022, initially working within health protection with a focus on vaccine uptake – Alice moved to the Behavioural Science Unit in August and now supports work involving climate change, the Healthy Weight Healthy Wales strategy and capability building. Alice has worked on a broad range of topics including increasing uptake of the HPV vaccine, improving access to services as a response to the Cost of Living Crisis, safe anti-biotic prescribing in healthcare settings, and weight management motivation and goal-setting. Prior to Public Health Wales, Alice worked in local government whilst completing her PhD, which explored how behavioural science could be used to help increase levels of physical activity within primary school classrooms. Her interests include qualitative research, evaluation and impact, intervention design, and her sprocker spaniel Hugo.