BSc MSc PhD

Research interests centre on health psychology, gamete donation and infertility, the meaning of parenthood, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, as well as a continuing interest in stroke rehabilitation.

Publications and Conferences

Scientific Publications: Journal articles

Purewal, S., van den Akker, O.B.A. (2009) A study of the effect of message framing on oocyte donation. Human Reproduction. In Press. Impact factor 3.773

Purewal, S., van den Akker, O.B.A. (2009) A qualitative study on women's perceptions of oocyte donation. Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology. In Press. Impact Factor 1.585

Purewal, S., van den Akker, O. B. A. (2009). Systematic review of oocyte donation: investigating attitudes, motivations and experiences. Human Reproduction Update. 15 (5):499-515. Impact factor 7.257

Purewal, S., van den Akker, O. B. A. (2009). Attitudes and Intentions towards Volunteer Oocyte Donation. Reproductive Biomedicine Online, Vol 19. Supp. 1. pp 19-26. Impact factor 3.21

Purewal, S., van den Akker, O.B.A. (2009). Attitudes and Intentions to Donate Oocytes for Research. Fertility and Sterility. In Press. Impact factor 3.28

Purewal, S., van den Akker, O.B.A. (2007) The socio-cultural and biological meaning of parenthood. Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology, Vol. 28. No. 3, pp 79-86. Impact Factor 1.585

Scientific Publications: Published Abstracts

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A.. (2009). A systematic review of the psychological determinants and motivational patterns of oocyte donation. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp 320-321 (Abst).

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A.. (2009). Oocyte donation and the framing effect: changing intentions. Psychology Health, Vol. 24, Suppl. 1, pp. 327-328 (Abst).

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2008) Oocyte Donation, Parenthood and the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Structural Equation Modelling Analyses. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp 263-264 (Abst).

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2008) Factors Influencing Attitudes towards Potential Oocyte Donation for Research. Book of Abstracts. BPS Annual Conference, 2008, pp 178-179 (Abst)

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2007) Women's reasons for parenthood. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, Vol 25, No 3, pp 242-3 (Abst)

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2007) An internet study of factors predicting willingness to donate oocytes. Health Psychology Review, Vol 1, S1, pp 175-176 (Abst)

Purewal, S. van den Akker, O.B.A. (2006) A qualitative Study of men and women's reasons for parenthood. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp 274 (Abst)

Papers presented at national and international conferences

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2009) 29th Annual Conference of The Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology 9-10 Sept 2009 at The Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 'A systematic review of the psychological determinants and motivational patterns of oocyte donation'

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2009) European Health Psychology Society in Pisa 23rd -26th Sept 2009. 'Oocyte Donation and the Framing Effect: Changing Intentions'.

McClusky, J., Purewal, S., van den Akker, O.B.A. (2009). International Conference on the Arts in Society, Venice Italy, 28-31 July 2009. 'Fertility Frontiers: Working across Disciplines'

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2009) British Fertility Society on 7-9 January 2009 at the EICC in Edinburgh. 'Behavioural factors of oocyte donation for research'

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2008) 28th Annual Conference of The Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology 8-10 Sept 2008 at MIC Hotel and Conference Centre, London. 'Oocyte Donation, Parenthood and the Theory of Planned Behaviour: Structural Equation Modelling Analyses'

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2008) Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society Annual Conference 2-4 April 2008 at The Royal Dublin Society, Ireland. 'Factors Influencing Attitudes towards Potential Oocyte Donation for Research'.

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2007) 27th Annual Conference of The Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology 10-12 Sept..2007 at St Anne's College, Oxford. 'Women's reasons for parenthood'.

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2007) 21st Annual European Health Psychology Society Conference 15-18 August 2007 Maastricht, The Netherlands. 'An internet study of factors predicting willingness to donate oocytes'.

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2007) LHS Postgraduate Research Day, 28th June 2007 at Aston University, Birmingham. 'Factors Influencing Women's Reasons for Parenthood'.

Purewal, S van den Akker, O. B. A. (2007) Health and Human Development research group meeting at Aston University, Birmingham. 'Assessing Women's Attitudes towards Oocyte Donation'.

Purewal, S. van den Akker, O. B. A. (2006) 26th Annual Conference of The Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology 13-15 Sept.. 2006 at Aston University, Birmingham. 'A qualitative study of men's and women's reasons for parenthood'.

Purewal, S. van den Akker, O. B. A. (2006) Ethnicity and Reproductive Technologies, 11-12th September 2006, Nottingham. ESRC. 'Cultural and Gender Differences in Reasons for Parenthood'.

Academic Activity

Referee for the Journal of Health Psychology, Human Reproduction, Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology and Reproductive Biomedicine Online.

Committee member of the Applied Social Psychology research group (Middlesex University).