Susan Michie

Susan Fiona Dorinthea Michie (born 19 June 1955) is a British academic, clinical psychologist, and professor of health psychology, director of The Centre for Behaviour Change and head of The Health Psychology Research Group, all at University College London. She is also an advisor to the British Government via the SAGE advisory group on matters concerning behavioural compliance with government regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, she was appointed Chair of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on Behavioural Insights and Sciences for Health.

Early life Born in St Pancras, London, Michie is the daughter of the biologist Dame Anne McLaren and computer scientist Donald Michie, and sister of the economist Jonathan Michie.

Michie obtained a BA in experimental psychology from University College, Oxford in 1976, an MPhil in clinical psychology from the Institute of Psychiatry in 1978, and a DPhil in developmental psychology from University College, Oxford in 1982. She is a chartered clinical psychologist and a chartered health psychologist, and a fellow of the British Psychological Society. Her later career interests have been in designing and evaluating methods of behavioural change, especially in relation to wellbeing and health improvement.

In 1993, Michie moved to the Psychology and Genetics Research Group, King's College London where she conducted research into the process and outcome of genetic counselling, public and professional attitudes towards genetic testing, informed choice and decision making about prenatal screening and genetic testing, and the psychological impact of predictive genetic testing. She continued her clinical work, consultancy and research at the Royal Free Hospital’s Occupational Health and Safety Unit part-time.

In 2002, Michie joined the Psychology Department of University College London (UCL), where she is Professor of Health Psychology. She is director of UCL’s Centre for Behaviour Change and of its Health Psychology Research Group.

Michie has served as president of the European Health Psychology Society and chair of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Health Psychology. She will advise the WHO on how to increase adherence to vaccination campaigns and other initiatives that influence national health policy. Some social media users expressed concern over her hiring due to Michie's stances during the COVID epidemic.

Recognition Michie was elected a Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 2001, the European Health Psychology Society, and the US Society of Behavioral Medicine and Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. In 2020, she became a participant in the COVID-19 SAGE's Scientific Pandemic Insights group on Behaviour (SPI-B). She also sits on the Independent SAGE committee, chaired by Sir David King.

Michie frequently contributes to national news media during the COVID-19 pandemic as an expert in behaviour change, notably in May 2020 when a government advisor left the city and thus broke the government's COVID-19 rules.

Personal life Michie was married from 1981 to 1997 to the trade union official Andrew Murray and has three children.

She married psychologist Robert West, Emeritus Professor at University College London, in 2009.

Michie is a member of the Communist Party of Britain In March 2018, she spoke at a public meeting saying that communists should be "working full tilt" for the election of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister. She made a £14,000 donation to Labour under Corbyn's leadership. She has stated that her political positions are unrelated to her scientific advice.