BSPHN Conference 2026 – Complexity and Behavioural Science: Practical Strategies and Innovation for Complex Problems
BSPHN Conference 2026 – Complexity and Behavioural Science: Practical Strategies and Innovation for Complex Problems
By BSPHN on
Nov 6, 2025
Join us in the vibrant city of Leicester to explore how behavioural science is shaping responses to complex public sector challenges.
Discover innovative research, practical insights, and collaborative opportunities in addressing ‘wicked’ problems, multifaceted interventions, and systemic change.
Network with the largest gathering in the UK of public health and public sector leaders and practitioners in behavioural and social science who are seeking:
Learning & inspiration from examples of the latest work across the UK
Practical tools to increase the effectiveness of interventions and services
A national community dedicated to changing behaviour to improve public health outcomes and enable more effective, efficient and equitable public services
Pre-conference Workshops: Monday 9th March 2026 12.30 – 17.00 GMT (followed by a complementary evening networking event)
Conference main event: Tuesday 10th March 2026 9:30 - 16:00 GMT
Venue: The Venue, Leicester De Montford University, LE2 7BU
About this event
This year the BSPHN explores how behavioural science is being used to help the public sector to respond to the challenge of complexity.
What to expect:
Inspiring keynote talks from leaders in behavioural and public health sciences
Interactive workshops and skills sessions
Real-world case studies from NHS, local government, and public sector organisations
Networking opportunities with peers and potential collaborators
Whether you’re a student exploring behavioural insights, a public health practitioner applying evidence in practice, or an academic shaping the research agenda — this conference is for you.
Keynote speakers
– London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Why do behavioural outcomes differ so widely across settings and policies? At BSPHN 2026, Professor Cécile Knai (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) will explore this question from a complexity perspective — examining how systems, commercial influences, and policy interactions shape behaviour and population health. Join us for an evidence-rich session that bridges science, complexity, and practical impact.
– University College London
Why does human behaviour resist simple explanations? At BSPHN 2026, Professor Daisy Fancourt (UCL) will unpack how complex networks of social behaviour, culture, and biology interact to shape health and wellbeing. Drawing on her world-leading research — from social prescribing to the arts as health promotion — Daisy’s session will deepen our understanding of behaviour in context.
Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of complexity in behavioural science.
– LSE
Why do small changes in context have such powerful effects on behaviour?
At our 2026 Conference, Professor Paul Dolan (LSE) will unpack how complexity, attention, and environment influence wellbeing and decision-making — and what this means for behavioural science in practice.
Paul’s expertise in social psychology and behavioural economics will be a welcome contribution to BSPHN 2026 and how we use behavioural science to tackle complexities in the public sector. His work will be familiar to many, including Mindspace: Influencing behaviour through public policy.
Join us for a talk that challenges simple answers and embraces real-world complexity.
– University of Cambridge
Why isn’t behaviour change as simple as telling people what to do? At BSPHN 2026, Professor Dame Theresa Marteau (University of Cambridge) will tackle this question head-on. Leading research on non-conscious processes and behaviour change, she challenges us to think differently about complexity, environments, and public health solutions.
Join us for a thought-provoking talk that bridges science, policy, and real-world impact.
Professor Cécile Knai
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Professor Cécile Knai is Professor of Public Health Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Head of the Department of Health Services Research and Policy. She leads the LSHTM Food Policy Impact Lab and co-leads the LSHTM Commercial Determinants Research Group. She also serves as Deputy Director for Health Improvement within the NIHR Policy Innovation and Evaluation Research Unit. Drawing on systems theory and methods, her research spans public health policy, food systems governance, and the commercial determinants of health— including public-private partnerships and industry self-regulation. Knai’s work combines mixed-methods policy analysis with systems thinking, and she leads and contributes to research that examines commercial influences on food policy, from food environments to emergency food assistance in international settings.
Professor Daisy Fancourt
University College London
Daisy Fancourt is Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at University College London and Head of the Social Biobehavioural Research Group. Her research focuses on the effects of social connections and behaviours on health, including loneliness, social isolation, social & community assets, arts and cultural engagement, and social prescribing. Daisy has received over £35m in research funding and her work has been recognised with over two dozen national and international research awards including a Philip Leverhulme Prize and British Academy Rising Star award.
She is Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre on Arts and Health, a Technical Advisor to the WHO, an Expert Scientific Adviser to UK Government, a BBC New Generation Thinker, and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper. Daisy has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers and given over 50 keynotes around the world. Her latest book Art Cure is published by Penguin & Macmillan. She is listed by Clarivate as one of the most highly cited scientists in the world and ranked #7 for the second year in a row in the UK’s list of Rising Stars of Science.
Professor Paul Dolan
LSE
Professor Paul Dolan is a behavioural scientist and Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). His work focuses on understanding how behaviour is shaped by the contexts we live in, with particular emphasis on wellbeing, happiness, and public policy.
Paul is widely known for translating complex behavioural science into practical insights for governments, organisations, and individuals including Mindspace: Influencing behaviour through public policy. He has advised policymakers around the world and is the author of several influential books, including Happiness by Design and his most recent, Beliefism. His research challenges simplistic narratives about choice and wellbeing, highlighting how complexity, attention, and everyday environments shape human behaviour.
Professor Dame Theresa Marteau
University of Cambridge
Professor Emerita Dame Theresa Marteau is a British behavioural psychologist and a leading authority on behaviour change and public health. She is Research Professor Emerita in behavioural science in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University of Cambridge, and Honorary Fellow at Christ’s College, Cambridge. Her expertise is on developing and evaluating interventions to change behaviour — especially around diet, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol consumption — to improve population health and reduce health inequalities, with a strong emphasis on targeting non-conscious processes rather than just conscious decision-making. It also includes risk perception, communication, and the acceptability of population-level interventions to the public and policymakers. In recognition of her contributions to public health and behavioural science, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2017.
Satellite Symposium – Building Behavioural Science Capacity in the Healthcare Workforce
Are you a healthcare professional (inc trainees) who wants to deliver more effective, efficient, and equitable patient care within the NHS and beyond?
This year, we are hosting a half-day satellite symposium (Monday 9th March) focused on growing behavioural science skills across the healthcare workforce. Facilitated by Dr Sion Scott (University of East Anglia), it will include a range of speakers and a skill-building interactive session for the application of behavioural science in healthcare.
Workshops
Workshop 1: Citizen Circles: our proposition to take you beyond the co-production buzzwords – Dr Tiago Moutela; Emily Rayner, Ian Fannon
A practical workshop introducing a methodology designed to move past co-production clichés and embed the lived experience of local communities into strategic decision-making for health and social care services. The use of Citizen Circles is an efficient methodology for inclusive and joint decision-making that bridges the gap between professional expertise, health and social care systems and people's lived experiences.
Workshop 2: COMPACT framework – Capturing Organisational iMPact of behavioural science in local government – Prof Katherine Brown (University of Hertfordshire); Julie Bayley (Northeastern University London)
The COMPACT Framework is a practical reference tool that highlights the potential impact of behavioural science within local authority activities. Organised into clear categories and subcategories of impact, and available as a free, editable spreadsheet, it can be easily adapted, integrated, or customised to suit a variety of needs. It also features a range of real-world examples, illustrating the many practical and effective ways behavioural science is already driving positive change in local government settings.
Workshop 3: Creative Arts and Behaviour Change – Lydia Towsey (Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust)
Welcome to a fun, hands-on session exploring how creative writing and the arts can support positive personal change. Through a short grounding meditation and a series of easy writing exercises, we’ll set goals, explore solutions, and build personal insight and wellbeing. You’ll also gain practical tools you can use in your professional work. The session is based on the CHIME mental health recovery framework (Leamy et al), and draws on ideas from poet and sociologist Carole Satyamurti and author Byron Katie.
*2-day bundle includes: 9th March – 2 x pre-conference workshops OR Satellite Symposium PLUS complimentary networking supper;
10th March – Full Conference Day
Refunds: We are unable to administrate refunds, but if you are unable to attend, you are welcome to transfer your ticket to someone else. Just let us know about the detail change at conference@bsphn.org.uk
Bursary
To enable those in unpaid positions / education to have opportunity to attend, we offer two bursaries. These will cover conference registration fee (including Pre-conference workshops) and travel costs (NB – bursary does not cover any accommodation). Successful applicants will be required to attend the event and provide an event write-up for the BPSHN publication.
