Stroke Rehabilitation Research
 

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Eirini Kontou

Clinical Psychologist, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

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Biography

Dr Eirini Kontou is a clinical academic clinical psychologist who holds appointments at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and at the University of Nottingham. She currently holds the prestigious NIHR/HEE ICA Clinical Lectureship that supports her career development and a multi-phased iterative research project for optimising psychological care pathways for people after transient ishaemic attack and minor stroke. She is a Senior Research Fellow based at the School of Medicine and the Institute of Mental Health. Dr Kontou supervises research projects in the Trent Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a focus in stroke, MS and neuropsychology. In 2020, she was awarded the NIHR Development Skills & Enhancement award to develop her expertise in developing and evaluating complex interventions in clinical trials.

Dr Kontou achieved her BA (hons) in Psychology from the American College of Greece. She obtained her MSc in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Nottingham and then she received a training research bursary from the Stroke Association to undertake her PhD on the impact of communication problems on post-stroke depression. She qualified in clinical psychology in September 2012 from the University of Sheffield (DClinPsy) and she returned back to the university to work as a part-time researcher. As a qualified clinical psychologist, she has worked in health psychology and stroke rehabilitation. She has successfully completed a prestigious Stroke Association Postdoctoral Fellowship to develop an intervention that offers educational, psychological and social support for people after TIA and minor stroke. Dr Kontou is interested in the development, delivery and evaluation of psychological interventions in the context of rehabilitation and physical health.

Expertise Summary

Depression and communication problems after stroke, psychological adjustment interventions for people with multiple sclerosis and other long-term physical health problems, assessing fitness to drive in neurological conditions.

Dr Kontou's has a long-standing interest in stroke rehabilitation and in psychosocial difficulties following physical health conditions.

Teaching Summary

Teaching on the MSc Rehabilitation Psychology and Health Psychology courses.

Research Summary

Optimising Psychoeducation for Transient Ischaemic Attack and Minor Stroke Management (OPTIMISM). 2015-2018. Kontou E. (CI) et al. Funded by a Stroke Association Postdoctoral Fellowship.… read more

Recent Publications

  • TURNER, GRACE M., HERON, NEIL, CROW, JENNIFER, KONTOU, EIRINI and HUGHES, SALLY, 2022. Stroke and TIA Survivors' Perceptions of the COVID-19 Vaccine and Influences on Its Uptake: Cross Sectional Survey INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH. 19(21),
  • HILL, GEORGINA, REGAN, SANDRA and FRANCIS, RICHARD, 2022. Research priorities to improve stroke outcomes LANCET NEUROLOGY. 21(4), 312-313
  • WEBB, SAM S., KONTOU, EIRINI and DEMEYERE, NELE, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic altered the modality, but not the frequency, of formal cognitive assessment DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION. 44(21), 6365-6373
  • WALKER, MARION F., BIRCHALL, SHEILA, COBLEY, CHRISTINE, CONDON, LAURA, FISHER, REBECCA, FLETCHER-SMITH, JOANNA, GOLDING-DAY, MIRIAM R., GREENSMITH, CHRISTOPHER, KONTOU, EIRINI, MATIAS, OLIVER, SPRIGG, NIKOLA, THOMAS, SHIRLEY A. and WHITEHEAD, PHILLIP J., 2020. Biopsychosocial intervention for stroke carers (BISC): results of a feasibility randomised controlled trial and nested qualitative interview study CLINICAL REHABILITATION.

Current Research

Optimising Psychoeducation for Transient Ischaemic Attack and Minor Stroke Management (OPTIMISM). 2015-2018. Kontou E. (CI) et al. Funded by a Stroke Association Postdoctoral Fellowship. https://www.stroke.org.uk/research/psychological-educational-and-social-support-people-after-tia-and-minor-stroke

Biopsychosocial Intervention for Stroke Carers (BISC). 2015-2018. Walker M. (CI) et al. Funded by NIHR RfPB. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/strokerehabilitation/projects/bisc.aspx

Past Research

Comparing individual versus group adjustment psychological interventions for people with multiple sclerosis (2014). Nair R. (CI) et al. Funded by Nottingham Hospitals Charity.

Validation of two neuropsychological batteries for assessing fitness to drive in people with multiple sclerosis. DClinPsy thesis project, University of Sheffield.

Factors relating to depression and aphasia after stroke (2008). PhD thesis project, University of Nottingham.

Stroke Rehabilitation Research

The University of Nottingham
School of Medicine


telephone: +44 (0) 115 823 0246
email:H.Taylor@nottingham.ac.uk