Professor John Weinman, BA, PhD, has been appointed Honorary Professor of Health Psychology at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Aarhus University, for a period of five years. At 15.00 on Wednesday 8 October 2008, Professor Weinman will give his accession speech on the subject of functional diseases, to be held in Lecture Theatre 1, Building 4, Entrance 4A, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus Amtssygehus, Tage-Hansens Gade.

Professor Weinman (63) is Professor of Psychology as applied to Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK. He studied psychology at the University of Reading and subsequently completed his clinical psychological education and training at the Royal Free Hospital in London. He completed his PhD at the Institute of Neurology prior to taking up an appointment as Associate Professor at Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London.

For many years, Professor Weinman has lectured in the psychological aspects of health and disease. The core focus of his work is concerned with how patients perceive and experience their illness and treatment, and the impact of this on different aspects of the health care system’s services and results. His main research area has focused on trying to understand patients’ attempts to find meaning in their disease and its treatment, and how patients deal with their illness and quality of life. His studies cover many types of serious diseases, such as heart problems, cancer, asthma, arthritis and diabetes, but also include people at risk for certain diseases.

Another focus of Professor Weinman’s research has been how psychological factors such as stress, in particular, can influence the patients’ post-operative recovery. His research has shown that if people are stressed and anxious, this can clearly impair wound healing and other post-operative complications. At present, Professor Weinman is developing methods for using psychological intervention to speed up the patients’ recovery process so they can be cured.

Professor Weinman is the founding editor of Psychology and Health: an International Journal and he has edited and written a considerable number of books, chapters and research papers in the new and rapidly growing field of health psychology. He is a member of the British Psychological Society and the American Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and has played a major role in developing the academic and professional health psychology in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Further information

The university can award the title “honorary professor” to people we wish to acknowledge for their high level of academic proficiency, at the same time as creating closer ties with us. An honorary professor normally holds lectures and takes part in research projects.

More information is available from John Weinman at john.weinman@kcl.ac.uk.

Download photo  of John Weinman in JPG format.

18th September 2008
Charlotte Boel
cbo@adm.au.dk
Communication Office