Diana Harcourt is Professor of Appearance and Health Psychology and Co-Director of the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE), where she and Professor Nichola Rumsey lead a team of 30 psychologists with a broad range of expertise around the psychology of appearance and body image.

She completed her PhD at UWE, Bristol in 2001, exploring women’s experiences of breast reconstruction after mastectomy. She has 20 years’ experience of researching the psychosocial aspects of appearance, with a particular focus on the experiences of people affected by visible differences or an altered appearance. Much of this work centres around the provision of appropriate supportive care and the development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions to support adults and young people affected by appearance-related concerns. Current projects include ways of promoting shared decision making about appearance-altering surgery.