Heidi was a critical care nurse before training to become a chartered health psychologist. She completed her BSc in Psychology (1999), MSc in Health Psychology (2007) and Professional Doctorate in Health psychology (2012) at the University of the West of England (UWE). Her doctoral thesis focused on health professional's experiences of caring for young people with an altered appearance as a result of cancer treatment. Heidi works at the Centre for Appearance Research, UWE. She collaborates with individuals of all ages who have conditions, diseases, injuries or treatment side-effects that affect their appearance. Her research focuses on the psychological, social and health consequences of living with a visible difference and the development and evaluation of psychosocial interventions for individuals with appearance-related distress and body image dissatisfaction. She is also passionate about increasing health professional's awareness and knowledge of the common appearance issues and concerns of their patients and increasing patient access to appearance-related support.