Paulina Kuczynska

Paulina joined Public Health Wales as a Senior Behavioural Science Specialist in March 2023. Paulina will lead the provision of specialist behavioural science support to Health Protection in this joint post between the Behavioural Science Unit and Health Protection Training and Guidance Team. Previously, Paulina worked in a behavioural science role for Suffolk County Council, where she developed a behavioural science curriculum and designed and delivered a series of behavioural science learning sessions to increase capability amongst staff to use behavioural science in their practice. Additionally, Paulina adopted collaborative approach to developing bespoke tools for staff such as behaviourally informed script and Motivational Interviewing in vaccine hesitancy training for the Contact Team. Paulina has significant strategic experience leading on health protection agenda in London boroughs working with multiple stakeholders and ethnically diverse communities. Additionally, she has gathered important frontline experience working in acute mental health and prison drug and alcohol services, which aids her understanding of service provision and behavioural problems ‘on the ground’. Paulina is completing her Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology at City, University of London, which will lead her to become a Chartered Health Psychologist upon qualifying. Health psychologists are specialists in doctor patient communication, patient symptom perception, healthcare seeking behaviours, medication adherence, long-term illness management, lifestyle changes etc. Paulina occasionally delivers academic teaching on behaviour change models for staff and students in psychology, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, psychology etc. Paulina is Polish and although she currently lives in England, she used to live and study in Cardiff during her undergrad, so working for PHW feels like coming back home to her.