Dr Laura Kudrna

Laura Kudrna

Department of Applied Health Sciences
Associate Professor in Health Research Methods

Contact details

Email
l.kudrna@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Laura Kudrna is an Associate Professor in Health Research Methods at the University of Birmingham. She is a behavioural and implementation scientist with expertise in evaluating workplace health and wellbeing programmes.

Qualifications

  • PhD Social Policy, London School of Economics, 2018
  • MSc Social Research Methodology, London School of Economics, 2012
  • BSc Psychology, University of Westminster, 2009
  • Post-Graduate Certification in Higher Education (2017, 2025)

Biography

Laura conducts research about the effectiveness of workplace health and wellbeing initiatives. She also leads work in behavioural and implementation science within larger multidisciplinary projects on topics in public health, maternity, surgery, and wellbeing policy. Her work attracts national and international attention, and she has appeared on National Public Radio and BBC World News Television. Her research has been featured in news outlets such as the Guardian, Financial Times, and Times of India. Prior to academia, Laura worked in the private sector in medical, financial, and technology research, including project management, recruitment and training, and quality control.

Better use of data to improve patient care
Money does not always buy happiness, but are richer people less happy in their daily lives?

Teaching

Postgraduate supervision

Laura is available to supervise doctoral research students in the following areas:

  • Workplace health and wellbeing research in policy, including meaningful work and subjective perceptions of wellbeing
  • Behavioural and implementation science projects that apply established frameworks to better understand health and wellbeing

If you are interested in studying any of these subject areas please contact Laura directly, or for any general doctoral research enquiries, please email mds-gradschool@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Research

Laura holds a Wellcome Trust and Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard Fellowship on developing a culturally sensitive measure of the experience of meaningful work among healthcare staff. She also leads the NIHR-funded WHISPA research network (workplace health and wellbeing initiatives that are free at the point of use to workplaces), and delivers work on behavioural and implementation science within larger multidisciplinary projects on topics within maternity care, surgery, health service delivery, and public health.

Other activities

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Kudrna, L, Yates, J, Alidu, L, Hemming, K, Quinn, L, Schmidtke, KA, Jones, J, Al-Khudairy, L, Jolly, K, Bird, P, Campbell, N, Bharatan, I, Latuszynska, A, Currie, G & Lilford, R 2025, 'A Mixed-Methods Cluster Randomised Waitlist-Controlled Trial of a Goal-Based Behaviour Change Intervention Implemented in Workplaces', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 22, no. 3, 398. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22030398

Edet, A, Kudrna, L & Quinn, L 2025, 'Impact of workforce characteristics and monetary incentives on uptake of health and wellbeing initiatives in the United Kingdom', PLOS Global Public Health, vol. 5, no. 3, e0003984. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003984

Ledda, V, Bhangu, A, Glasbey, J, Li, E, Lindenmeyer, A, Kamarajah, S, Morton, D, Picciochi, M, Nepogodiev, D & Kudrna, L 2025, 'The implementation of reusable drapes and gowns in operating theatres: A mixed-methods analysis of data from 5230 peri-operative professionals in 134 countries', Implementation science communications, vol. 6, 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-025-00732-x

Schmidtke, KA, Kudrna, L, Quinn, L, Bird, P, Hemming, K, Venable, Z & Lilford, R 2024, 'Cluster randomised evaluation of a training intervention to increase the use of statistical process control charts for hospitals in England: making data count', BMJ Quality & Safety. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2024-017094

Hemming, K, Kudrna, L, Watson, S, Taljaard, M, Greenfield, S, Goulao, B & Lilford, R 2024, 'Interpretation of statistical findings in randomised trials: a survey of statisticians using thematic analysis of open-ended questions', BMC Medical Research Methodology, vol. 24, no. 1, 256. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-024-02366-4

Rees, K, Takeda, A, Court, R, Kudrna, L, Hartley, L & Ernst, E 2024, 'Meditation for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (Review)', Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, vol. 2024, no. 2, CD013358. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013358.pub2

Chapter

Kudrna, L 2025, Income and Wellbeing. in M Briguglio, N Czap & K Laffan (eds), Wellbeing and Policy : Evidence for Action. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Carter, JEM & Kudrna, L 2024, Romantic relationships, partners, and happiness in under-represented groups. in H Brockmann & R Fernandez-Urbano (eds), Encyclopedia of Happiness, Quality of Life and Subjective Wellbeing. Elgar Encyclopedias in the Social Sciences series, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., pp. 265–275. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800889675.00044

Comment/debate

Grimani, A, Yemiscigil, A, Wang, Q, Kirilov, G, Kudrna, L & Vlaev, I 2024, 'Correction: How do emotions respond to outcome values and influence choice?', Psychological Research, vol. 88, no. 8, pp. 2251-2251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-024-02027-7

Commissioned report

Stinton, C, Herath, D, Parr, J, Mansbridge, A, Williams, H, Rotar, O, Grove, A, Al-Khudairy, L, Kudrna, L, Johnson, SA, Oyebode, O & Taylor-Phillips, S 2024, Can type 2 diabetes and its associated complications be prevented or delayed in people with intermediate hyperglycaemia? Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report, vol. 80, World Health Organization. <https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/378139>

Kudrna, L, Nanomi Arachchige, T, Alidu, L, Dolan, P & Mahoney, J 2024, Measuring affective components of subjective well-being: Updated evidence to inform national data collections. OECD papers on well-being and inequalities, no. 31, OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/6c72da70-en

Editorial

Kudrna, L, Lilford, R, Adebajo, A & Kumar, K 2024, 'Peer review of funding applications for health research in ethnic minority groups must improve', BMJ, vol. 384, q274. <https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj.q274>

Review article

El-Osta, A, Altalib, S, Alaa, A, Al-Ammouri, M, Karki, M, Riboli-Sasco, E, Majeed, A & Kudrna, L 2025, 'A scoping review of UK local government workplace health and wellbeing programmes', BMC Public Health, vol. 25, 2138. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23176-3

Busili, A, Kumar, K, Kudrna, L & Rabbani, U 2025, 'Examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review of pre and during pandemic insights', Medicine (United Kingdom), vol. 104, no. 26, e43112. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000043112

Ledda, V, Adisa, A, Agyei, F, Caton, L, George, C, Ghaffar, A, Ghosh, D, Hachach-Haram, N, Haque, PD, Ingabire, JCA, Kudrna, L, Li, E, McClain, C, Nepogodiev, D, Ntirenganya, F, Shrime, MG, Williams, I & Bhangu, A 2024, 'Environmentally sustainable surgical systems', BMJ Global Health, vol. 9, no. Suppl 4, e015066. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015066

View all publications in research portal