I hold a BSc in Psychology from Bristol University, followed by experience working in drug addiction and physical disability. I then took my MSc in clinical psychology from North East London Polytechnic (now UEL).
I took my PhD in 1976 while working at St Thomas' Hospital in pain management. Subsequently, I became a part-time senior lecturer at King's College medical school and part-time clinical practitioner at St Thomas' Hospital.
In 2004, I came to UCL as Reader in Clinical Health Psychology.