Scientific Programme Leader, Science and Techology Team in the Emergency Response Department

Theme 3 - Response

Public Health England

Professor Richard Amlôt is Scientific Programme Leader of the Behavioural Science Team based in the Emergency Response Department at UKHSA.

He leads a programme of research that explores operational, behavioural and psychological responses to emergencies and disasters, with a particular focus on CBRN incidents.

He led on the EU EAHC funded ORCHIDS project (‘Optimisation through Research of Chemical Incident Decontamination Systems’) which was chosen by EU DG SANCO as one of the 12 best projects in their 2008-2013 Public Health Research Programme.

Other projects have been funded by the UK Home Office, Department of Health and European Commission via EU EAHC, EU FP7 and EU DG HOME, and have concerned public and emergency responder reactions to emergencies and disasters, specifically the psychosocial consequences of disasters and how risk communication strategies can be used to promote positive behavioural and psychological responses.

Amlôt advises a number of central Government working groups including the Cabinet Office’s Scientific Advisory Group for Behaviour, the Behaviour and Communications subgroup of the Department of Health’s Scientific Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee and he chairs UKHSA's Psychosocial and Behavioural Issues advisory subgroup.

Dr Amlôt is the Assistant Director (UKHSA) for the Unit.