Following the completion of her PhD “Psychological Problems Associated with Facial Disfigurement” in 1983, Nichola has built an international reputation for her research in this field and has attracted over £7m funding to support research on appearance. She was British Psychological Society Consultant to the UK Dept of Health 2004-2010, is an Honorary Life Member of the South African Burns Society, and an Honorary Life Member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). Her current projects include establishing the psychosocial needs of people who are distressed by their appearance and developing interventions to meet these needs; interventions to promote positive societal attitudes towards diversity in appearance; screening and follow-up of patients seeking cosmetic surgery.