Department of Psychology

Personal website: https://www.cleoprotogerou.com/

Brief CV

I am Assistant Professor of Health Behaviours at the University of Crete. I earned my BA in Psychology from the American College of Greece (Deree); my BSc in Psychology from the University of Social and Political Sciences (Panteion), Greece; my MSc in Organisational Psychology from the University of Manchester, UK; and my PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Bath, UK. I have held postdoctoral research fellowships at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and the University of Connecticut, USA. I have been enjoying a fulfilling academic career, working at academic institutions across the globe and establishing collaborations with researchers in the USA, the UK, South Africa, Australia, Greece, Italy, Hong Kong, and the Sultanate of Oman. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy/Advance HE, UK; a chartered psychologist (CPsychol) and associate fellow (AFBPsS) of the British Psychological Society (BPS); and a member of the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS). I also serve as Advisory Editor for Social Science and Medicine Journal.

Career Development

• Assistant Professor of Health Behaviours (2022 – present). University of Crete, Greece.
• Senior Research Fellow (2021-2022). University of Suffolk, UK.
• Lecturer in Psychology and Project Scientist (2019-2021). University of California, Merced, USA.
• Instructor in Nutritional Psychology (2021 – present). The Center for Nutritional Psychology, USA.
• Adjunct Lecturer (2015-2022). University of Cape Town, South Africa.
• Adjunct Research Fellow (2015-2019). Curtin University, Australia.
• Lecturer in Psychology (2016-2019). University of Roehampton Online, UK.
• Senior Research Fellow (2016-2017). University of California, Berkeley, USA.
• Senior Research Fellow and Instructor (2013-2015). University of Liverpool, UK.
• Post-doctoral Research Fellow (2012-2012). University of Connecticut, USA.
• Post-doctoral Research Fellow (2008-2011). University of Cape Town, South Africa.
• Health Psychologist (2006-2008). The Greek Organisation Against Drugs (OKANA Prevention Centre), Nea Ionia, Athens, Greece.

Research Foci

My research has investigated health and risk-taking behaviours across populations and developed an evidence base to design and test interventions to promote health. One strand of my research focuses on applying theories of social cognition to the study of health behaviours, especially young people’s condom use in Sub-Saharan African contexts. A second strand of my research involves evidence syntheses of behavioural health research. A third strand of my research is healthcare guideline and research quality appraisal; related, I developed the first checklist to assess the Quality of Survey Studies in Psychology (Q-SSP). My research has employed quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, such as meta-analyses, narrative reviews, scoping reviews, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and expert consensus. I adhere to Open Science principles that advance transparent and reproducible research.

Funding

The quality and contribution of my research has been acknowledged by various authorities. For example, my post-doctoral research was fully funded by scholarships and awards from the Universities of Connecticut, USA, and Cape Town, South Africa. By virtue of being a researcher affiliated with a South African University, the total body of my research is periodically reviewed by South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF). In the latest review, my research was highly rated, described as “national and international” relevant, and awarded a grant. My research in theory development utilizing Open Science practices was funded by the University of Berkeley California, through a Social Science Meta-Analysis and Research Transparency (SSMART) grant.

Selected Publications

• Protogerou, C., Gladwell, V. F., & Martin, C. R. (2022). Development of a self-report measure to assess sleep satisfaction: Protocol for the Suffolk Sleep Index (SuSI). Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1016229
• Protogerou, C., Leroy, F., & Hagger, M. S. (2021). Beliefs and experiences of individuals following a zero-carb diet. Behavioral Sciences, 11(12), 161. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11120161
• Protogerou, C., & Hagger, M. S. (2020). A checklist to assess the quality of survey studies in psychology. Methods in Psychology, 3, 100031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metip.2020.100031
• Protogerou, C., McHugh, R. K., & Johnson, B. T. (2020). How best to reduce unhealthy risk-taking behaviours? A meta-review of evidence syntheses of interventions using self-regulation principles. Health Psychology Review, 14(1), 86-115. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2019.1707104
• Protogerou, C., Johnson, B.T., & Hagger, M. S. (2018). An integrated model of condom use in sub-Saharan African youth: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 37, 586-602. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000604
• Protogerou, C., Fleeman, N., Dwan, K., Richardson, M., Dundar, Y., & Hagger, M.S. (2015). Moderators of psychological intervention efficacy on depression and anxiety in cardiac surgery patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 73, 151-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2015.08.004
• Protogerou, C., Flisher, A. J., & Wild, L.G. (2014). Factors shaping condom use among South African university students: A thematic analysis. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 24, 215-224. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2014.906081
• Protogerou, C., & Johnson, B.T. (2014). Factors underlying the success of behavioral HIV-prevention interventions for adolescents: A meta-review. AIDS and Behavior, 18, 1847-1863. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-014-0807-y
• Protogerou, C., Flisher, A. J., Wild, L.G., & Aarø, L. E. (2013). Predictors of condom use in South African university students: A prospective application of the theory of planned behaviour. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43, E23-E36. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12039

Teaching

• Reintroducing research methods through examining popular dietary messages (workshop).
• Cognition and Health Behaviours (seminar).