Dr Rebecca Garcia

Professional biography

Rebecca is a Registered Nurse (adult) and Chartered Psychologist, currently employed as a central academic and working as the Associate Head of School for Nursing and the health professions. Previously, Rebecca was the Programme Lead for R39 and was the field lead for Adult Nursing, coordinating the specialism and diversity of adult nursing for qualified members of staff, to benefit both staff and students. To support the research community, Rebecca is a member of the Open University's Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and is a doctoral supervisor and regular peer reviewer of academic journals.  

Professional memberships:

• Nursing Midwifery Council
• British Psychological Society
• Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Research Groups: 

Open University WELS Open Thanatology Research group, Perinatal mental health and WELS health and nursing research groups. 

Qualifications:

Doctor of Philosophy  - University of Bedfordshire, 2017

‘Examining the factors that contribute to perinatal mortality in white British, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women in Luton.'

MSc Health Psychology (Distinction) - University of Bedfordshire, September 2013

BSc Psychology (First Class Honours) - University of Bedfordshire. October 2009-2012

Registered General Nurse - Guys and Lewisham School of Nursing 1994

PGCTHE - University of Bedfordshire 

Advance HE - External Examiners Training (Open University) 

Research interests

My research interests include aspects of social health psychology including health inequalities, women's health beliefs and behaviours and perinatal mortality. 

External collaborations

I am an external Examiner for Bucks New University (post-graduate programs) and a regular academic reviewer for BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth and the BMJ, among others. I am also a consultant for East London Foundation NHS Trust working with quality improvement projects that address inequalities in perinatal mental health.