Dr Kajal Gokal

Kajal is a Senior Research Fellow supported by an NIHR Advanced Fellowship. She has a background in psychology and her research focuses on behaviour change for the prevention and management of cancer. She is theme lead for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Illness within the Centre for Lifestyle Medicine and Behaviour.

Kajal obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Aston University, and her PhD from Loughborough University. Following on from her PhD, Kajal took up a Research Associate position at Coventry University where she worked on several NIHR, MRC and CRUK funded projects developing and evaluating digital health, behaviour change interventions.

Kajal returned to Loughborough University initially as a Senior Research Associate on the NIHR funded Snacktivity programme grant between September 2019 and November 2020. Kajal then continued to explore behavioural interventions for the prevention and management of cancer with both national and international collaborators and funders. Kajal was promoted to Senior Research Fellow in 2024 and was awarded her five-year NIHR Advanced Fellowship in December 2024.

Kajal’s research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of health-related behaviour change interventions, and providing individuals with the resources to make positive changes to their health and well-being. Kajal has strong interests in Psycho-oncology which focuses on aspects of cancer that affect the individual’s lifestyle and psychological well-being. She has expertise in digital, self-managed physical activity interventions for those living with and beyond breast cancer. Kajal has a strong interest in translating evidence into practice and exploring optimum methods for integrating behavioural interventions within NHS settings. She works closely with healthcare professionals, patients with lived experience and other stakeholders.

Selected research grants

• National Institute for Health Research Advanced Fellowship. Integrating physical activity support into routine NHS breast cancer care: iCAN (£1,212,724.00) Awarded December 2024-November 2029, Personal award.
• National Institutes of Health. Free Time For Wellness: Effectiveness trial. ($3,972,473) Awarded July 2023- June 2028, Co-applicant.

• Gokal, K., Daley, A. J., & Madigan, C. D. (2024). "Fear of raising the problem without a solution": a qualitative study of patients' and healthcare professionals' views regarding the integration of routine support for physical activity within breast cancer care. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(1), 87. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-08293-2
• Langworthy, E., Gokal, K., Kettle, V.E., Daley, A.J. Effects of physical activity interventions on physical activity and health outcomes in young people during treatment for cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2023. DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001466
• Daley, A.J., Griffin, R.A., Moakes, C.A., Sanders, J.P., Skrybant, M., Ives, N., Maylor, B., Greenfield, S.M., Gokal, K., Parretti, H.M., Biddle, S.J.H., Greaves, C., Maddison, R., Mutrie, N., Esliger, D.W., Sherar, L., Edwardson, C.L., Yates, T., Frew, E., Tearne, S., Jolly, K. Snacktivity™ to promote physical activity and reduce future risk of disease in the population: protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial and nested qualitative study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2023. DOI: 10.1186/s40814-023-01272-8
• Krouwel, M., Greenfield, S.M., Chalkley, A., Sanders, J.P., Parretti, H.M., Gokal K, et al. (2023) Promoting participation in physical activity through Snacktivity: A qualitative mixed methods study. PLoS ONE 18(9): e0291040. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291040
• Sanders, J.P., Gokal, K., Thomas, J.J., Rawstorn, J.C., Sherar, L.B., Maddison, R., Greaves, C.J., Esliger, D., Daley, A.J. and Snacktivity Investigators, 2023. Development of a Mobile Health Snacktivity™ App to Promote Physical Activity in Inactive Adults (SnackApp): Intervention Mapping and User Testing Study. JMIR Formative Research, 7, p.e41114. DOI: 10.2196/41114
• Madigan, C. D., Graham, H. E., Sturgiss, E., Kettle, V. E., Gokal, K., Biddle, G., Taylor, G., & Daley, A. J. (2022). Effectiveness of weight management interventions for adults delivered in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 377, e069719. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2021-069719
• Gokal, K., Amos-Hirst, R., Moakes, C. A., Sanders, J. P., Esliger, D. W., Sherar, L. B., Ives, N., Biddle, S., Edwardson, C., Yates, T., Frew, E., Greaves, C., Greenfield, S. M., Jolly, K., Skrybant, M., Maddison, R., Mutrie, N., Parretti, H. M., & Daley, A. J. (2022). Views of the public about Snacktivity™: a small changes approach to promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour. BMC public health, 22(1), 618. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13050-x
• Milton, K., Poole, K., Cross, A., Gasson, S., Gokal, K., Lyons, K., Pulsford, R., & Jones, A. (2022). 'People don't get cancer, families do': Co-development of a social physical activity intervention for people recently affected by a cancer diagnosis. European journal of cancer care, 31(3), e13573. DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13573
• Jones, C., Gibbons, M., Magsamen-Conrad, K., Ulanday, K. T., Watterson, J., Oakley-Girvan, I., Houghton, L. C., & Gokal, K. (2022). "Mother's Health and Well-Being Matters: Is a Mediated Social Cohesion Public Health Intervention Feasible?" American journal of health promotion : AJHP, 36(3), 410–420. DOI: 10.1177/08901171211055317
• Tyldesley-Marshall, N., Greenfield, S. M., Parretti, H. M., Gokal, K., Greaves, C., Jolly, K., Maddison, R., Daley, A. J., & Snacktivity™ Study Team (2022). Snacktivity™ to Promote Physical Activity: a Qualitative Study. International journal of behavioral medicine, 29(5), 553–564. DOI: 10.1007/s12529-021-10040-y
• Oakley-Girvan, I., Watterson, J. L., Jones, C., Houghton, L. C., Gibbons, M. P., Gokal, K., & Magsamen-Conrad, K. (2021). Use of Social Media for Cancer Prevention Through Neighborhood Social Cohesion: Protocol for a Feasibility Study. JMIR research protocols, 10(7), e28147. DOI: 10.2196/28147
• Houghton, L. C., Gibbons, M. P., Shekelle, J., Oakley-Girvan, I., Watterson, J. L., Magsamen-Conrad, K., Jones, C., & Gokal, K. (2021). Free Time For Wellness: a co-designed intervention utilizing social networks to encourage physical activity for cancer prevention among low resourced mothers. BMC public health, 21(1), 1805. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11775-9
• Sanders, J. P., Biddle, S., Gokal, K., Sherar, L. B., Skrybant, M., Parretti, H. M., Ives, N., Yates, T., Mutrie, N., Daley, A. J., & Snacktivity Study Team (2021). 'Snacktivity™' to increase physical activity: Time to try something different? Preventive medicine, 153, 106851. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106851
• Fulton, E. A., Newby, K., Kwah, K., Schumacher, L., Gokal, K., Jackson, L. J., Naughton, F., Coleman, T., Owen, A., & Brown, K. E. (2021). A digital behaviour change intervention to increase booking and attendance at Stop Smoking Services: the MyWay feasibility RCT. NIHR Journals Library. DOI: 10.3310/phr09050
• Fulton, E., Brown, K., Newby, K., Gokal, K., Kwah, K., Jackson, L., Naughton, F., Schumacher, L. & Coleman, T. (2019). Tailored digital behaviour change intervention with e-referral system to increase attendance at NHS Stop Smoking Services (The MyWay Project): study protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial. .BMJ Open 9, 4, 7 p., e028721. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028721
• Gokal, K., Munir, F., Ahmed, S., Kancherla, K., Wallis, D. (2018). Does walking protect against decline in cognitive functioning among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy? Results from a small randomised controlled trial. PLoS ONE, 13(11), e0206874. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206874
• Fulton, E., Gokal, K., Griffiths, S., Wild, S. (2018). More than half of adolescent E-Cigarette users had never smoked a cigarette: findings from a study of school children in the UK. Public Health, August. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.04.014
• Gokal, K., Wallis, D., Ahmed, S., Boiangiu, I., Kancherla, K., Munir, F. (2016). Effects of a self-managed home-based walking intervention on psychosocial health outcomes for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a randomised controlled trial. Supportive Care in Cancer, ISSN: 0941-4355. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-015-2884-5.
• Gokal, K., Munir, F., Wallis, D., Ahmed, S., Boiangiu, I., Kancherla, K. (2015). Can physical activity help to maintain cognitive functioning and psychosocial well-being among breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy? A randomised controlled trial: study protocol. BMC PUBLIC HEALTH, 15, ISSN: 1471-2458. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1751-0.