Hi, I am Dr. Payal Loma Ghatnekar
- PhD in persuasive technology, with over a decade of experience in digital healthcare research and innovation
- Expert in AI and immersive technologies with a focus on evaluation, adoption, risk management and governance
- Innovate UK grants assessor, writer and UKRI panelist assessing high impact innovations
- I also help individuals and teams reset their relationship with technology through The Grounded Circuit™—a science-based framework for emotional clarity, digital wellbeing, and nervous system resilience.
Human-Centred Services to Scale Innovation and Drive Adoption
Technology Adoption & Behaviour Change Consulting
Help your teams embrace change- not resist it. I support organisations in navigating the human side of digital transformation. Using proven behavioural science models, I design adoption strategies that reduce friction and improve engagement. Whether you're implementing AI, immersive tech, or new digital tools, I ensure people are at the centre of the process.
Innovation & Digital Health Evaluation
Make informed decisions with real-world evidence. I evaluate the effectiveness and impact of emerging technologies through mixed-methods research grounded in behavioural science. From small pilots to large-scale rollouts, I provide evidence that helps funders, regulators, and leaders understand what works—and why. My expertise spans immersive tech, AI in healthcare, and user experience design.
Grant Review & Funding Advisory
Secure funding with strong, evidence-backed proposals. As an Innovate UK Assessor and UKRI Talent Panelist, I know what high-impact applications look like. I help organisations and startups craft compelling funding proposals aligned with national innovation priorities. Whether you're applying for Innovate UK, UKRI, or other grant schemes, I offer expert insight on structure, strategy, and evaluation plans that get results.
The Grounded Circuit™
Science-led strategies for clarity, focus, and nervous system regulation in the digital age
The Grounded Circuit™ is a signature behavior science framework I developed to address the hidden costs of digital overload, fragmented attention, and emotional dysregulation—especially in high-demand, tech-saturated environments.
Drawing from behaviour science, technology usage, and health psychology, The Grounded Circuit™ helps individuals and teams:
Reduce the cognitive and emotional strain caused by passive tech use
Restore clarity and productivity through nervous system-aligned routines
Build sustainable digital habits that protect wellbeing without disengaging from technology
Unlike detox models that rely on avoidance, The Grounded Circuit™ offers practical, evidence-informed rituals that integrate nourishment, movement, sensory reset, and focused work cycles.
Whether applied at the individual or organisational level, it brings a grounded approach to performance, resilience, and wellbeing in a hyperconnected world.
Featured Projects
Innovate UK Grant Assessor & Writer, UKRI Panel Member
Alongside my role as a grant assessor for Innovate UK and a panelist on UKRI-funded programmes, I bring hands-on experience in successfully writing both small and large-scale grant applications, including bids to Innovate UK, AHRC, and ESRC. This dual perspective—assessing innovation and crafting competitive proposals—gives me unique insight into what makes a funding application stand out. I help others bridge bold ideas with funder priorities, ensuring clarity, credibility, and real-world relevance
Digital Healthcare Impact & Evaluation in NHS
With over a decade of experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and behavior science, I specialize in evaluating the real-world impact of digital health interventions. From immersive technologies to AI-enabled tools, my work focuses on translating innovation into measurable outcomes—improving patient experience, clinical training, and system readiness. As an R&I expert, I support organisations in building robust evaluation frameworks, aligning evidence with strategy, and scaling solutions that truly work.
Digital Literacy and Inclusion Behaviour Analysis in Health Workers
At my NHS Trust, I led the data analysis of a nationally recognised Digital Literacy and Inclusion programme aimed at upskilling healthcare staff and bridging the digital divide. My work focuses on designing and delivering hands-on, human-centred learning experiences—demystifying emerging technologies and building confidence across roles and digital abilities. This initiative not only supports staff wellbeing and career development but also lays the groundwork for sustainable digital transformation within frontline services.
AI User Design, Governance and Education
I bring deep expertise in AI user experience design, governance, and literacy—ensuring that emerging technologies are not only technically sound but also ethically aligned, usable, and trusted. I’m actively involved in shaping my hospital’s AI policy and co-developing an AI literacy hub to support safe, confident adoption of AI across the workforce. I’ve co-designed AI systems with healthcare professionals, contributed to national policy discussions, and completed a specialist course from the University of Cambridge on Human-Computer Interaction for AI Systems—grounding my work in both theory and practice to drive meaningful, human-centred innovation.
Testimonials
