Our Lecturers

Dr Lizzie Hill PhD RPSGT EST FHEA is a Clinical Scientist with over 20 years’ experience of working with adults and children with sleep disorders in clinical and research settings.

She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Sleep Physiology at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), where she leads the PGCert Sleep Medicine programme, commissioned and funded by NHS England to address the skills gaps in clinical sleep services.  

Andrew Morley (BSc, RPSGT) is the Manager of Respiratory & Sleep physiological services for Greater Glasgow and Clyde.  Having graduated from Glasgow University in 1997 he has gone on to work in field of sleep medicine over the last twenty years. He has experience in both Clinical (Adults & Paediatrics)  & Research settings which include working at the University of Auckland.

He is currently a member of the Association of Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP) Sleep committee & lectures for sleep Scotland. He is passionate about the subject of sleep and how it affects all areas of life. 

Tracey is a Learning Disability nurse who works part time for NHS supporting children with Learning Disabilities and complex sleep issues. She has been a Sleep Counsellor since 2011.

Rhona Harkness MSOT, Sleep Counsellor

Rhona is an Occupational Therapist with over twenty years of experience in the field.  She has provided occupational therapy provision across the lifespan within the NHS and privately as the Centred Occupational Therapy Practice.

Rhona trained as a Sleep Counsellor with Sleep Action in 2010 and has lectured with the Sleep Action Team since 2011.  Rhona has post-graduate training in sensory integration and processing and has a specialist interest in neurodiversity, sleep, and equine assisted occupational therapy.    

Pauline Lawrie, BEd, PGC Additional Support Needs, MEd Advanced Professional Studies (Chartered Teacher). Pauline has over 35 years’ experience in Education including the last 10 years as a Sleep Counsellor and Lecturer for Sleep Action.

Pauline is an experienced Educational Visitor and Sleep Counsellor. She is committed to working directly with families to promote their inclusion and supporting individuals to live life to their full potential. She is passionate about the role sleep plays in this across all age groups

Dr Jackson OBE FRCPCH is an Honorary Fellow University of Edinburgh Department of Child Life and Health. She trained as a Paediatrician at Edinburgh University and specialised in neuro-developmental assessment.

Her previous role in NHS Lothian was the development and organisation of Learning Disability Services for children and young people. She established, and was the Clinical Lead for, the CEN NMCN (National Care Network in Scotland for Children with Exceptional Health Care Needs). She co-chaired the SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network) FASD Diagnosis Guideline Group, and is a member of the Scottish FASD( Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) Advisory group.

Dr Jackson continues teaching, researching, and has a special interest in FASD, and sleep in children and young people with additional support needs, particularly those with Down’s Syndrome.

Dr Jackson also works with several children’s organisations on a voluntary basis and was previously Vice Convenor for Children in Scotland. Currently she is Vice Chair of Down’s Syndrome Scotland, and Vice Chair Elevate Great (previously Cattanach Trust) and a Trustee of The Yard.

Michael has been a Sleep Counsellor for over 20 years and a trainer for over 15 with specialities related to epilepsy, mental health, food, mood and behaviour. He is a qualified Cognitive Behaviour Therapist and Practice Teacher in social work.

Michael’s background is originally in nursing, medical and mental health, with the latter part of his nursing career with the CAMHs team at Guy’s Hospital in London.

Michael left nursing to do a social work degree, and worked as a neurology social worker at Great Ormond Street. He moved to Edinburgh and worked as a social worker for children with disabilities for City of Edinburgh Council. It was then he trained as a Sleep Counsellor. Michael then moved to the voluntary sector, working as a social worker and trainer at Epilepsy Scotland.

Janet is a teenage Sleep Counsellor and champion of our Sound Sleep training. She has supported Sleep Action with research projects around teenage sleep alongside Glasgow University. Janet has a wealth of experience working in the third sector, including at both of Capella’s services Sleep Action and Teens+.

Dr Florian Gahleitner is a consultant in paediatric respiratory and sleep medicine at the RHCYP, Edinburgh.

Dr Florian did a fellowship with Prof Cathy Hill, Professor of Paediatric Sleep Medicine, at Southampton General Hospital. He conducts research in relation to paediatric sleep.

Claire is a GP Partner and Educator, and loves being involved in training GPs for the future. She also has a special interest in Sleep and has a Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine. 

Dr Aliyah Rehman is a senior Lecturer at Sleep Action and has interests in sleep and mental health.

Dr Rehman is also a teaching fellow at the University of Strathclyde and lectures in Psychology. Her teaching focus is primarily in the topic of mental health. 

Barbara is an experienced Sleep Counsellor and ASD intervention therapist.  She is a child and adult counsellor, specialising in psychological trauma and has post graduate training in systemic practice and family therapy.

Alana is an experienced Sleep Counsellor and a retired specialist health visitor.

Alana worked as a General Nurse, Midwife and Health Visitor in various situations all over the country.  For the last 12yrs of her career she worked as Specialist Health Visitor in a Child Development Centre in Glasgow, working with children with a range of physical and developmental difficulties and their families.  As part of that work Alana trained as a Sleep Counsellor with Sleep Action and delivered a sleep service to her client group. 

Since retiring from the NHS Alana has worked with Sleep Action, helping with training Sleep Counsellors, delivering Parent Awareness Workshops, carrying out one-to-one Sleep Counselling on a voluntary basis and attending conferences.

Alyson joined Sleep Action (formerly Sleep Scotland) for a second time in August 2017. She has a background working in the voluntary and higher education sectors with children, young people, and adults with additional support needs.

Alyson is responsible for our Sleep Support and Training teams to ensure a high-quality service to both families and professionals. She is passionate about spreading the good word of sleep, and finding the right solution to a sleep issue at any age through training, education, and advice.

Maria is a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh.

Maria has experience of over 20 years as a sleep scientist in clinical and research settings. Her research work incorporates a variety of research methodologies and draws from psychological interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia. The primary focus of her research aims to explore the onset and maintenance of sleep and circadian difficulties across the lifespan and their association with physiological and environmental factors.

Maria joined the board in May 2022 and hopes to support the organisation with her sleep research skills and her understanding of the dynamic interplay of sleep with mental health conditions, especially for children and young people. She is also a Senior Sleep Lecturer for the organisation, hoping to bring closer the training facilitators and the members of the board.

Ailsa has 32 years experience as a Clinical psychologist working in the NHS and independently.

Ailsa’s main interests are children with learning disability, autism and acquired brain injury. 

Kim has been an Occupational Therapist for 20 years, working in Children & Young People’s Occupational Therapy for the past 15 years. She has a special interest in Autism and ADHD.

Kim completed her Sleep Councillor training in 2018 and began working with Sleep Action in 2022.

Andrea is an experienced specialist health visitor of 25 years and has been a Sleep Counsellor since 2018 and is also one of the trainers/lecturers for Sleep Action.

Her daughter’s own sleep difficulties related to her disability first inspired her to train as a sleep counsellor and in turn support families in similar situations. Improving sleep can be life changing for many young people and their families and sleep action enables us to provide the right support at the right time.