My main area of expertise is around health and geographical perspectives on ageing. More specifically my research focuses on voluntary and community interventions to support active and healthy ageing; informal (family) care-giving – including male care-giving and the gendered nature of care; the role of technology in supporting older people; and the changing nature of home and community. A second key strand of my work focuses around the therapeutic landscape. This concept embraces the notion that certain environments promote health and wellbeing and is based on understanding how environmental, societal and individual factors work together to preserve health and wellbeing.

Currently research includes: 

• LCIA Testbed: health technology to support older people with long term conditions living at home;
• A Life More Ordinary: creating dementia friendly spaces through the arts;
• RespectAbility: creating activities designed to alleviate loneliness and social isolation in older adults; 
• REACH: addressing social isolation amongst older adults living in rural and remote areas;
• Understanding the resource implications of male care-giving for ageing family members (funded by charitable donation).

My current and recently completed research includes three core strands of work. The first strand comprises three research projects that focus around the needs and well-being of different groups of family care-givers caring for older and dying people and the importance of home in the care-giving experience. This work has been funded by Age UK, the Marie Curie caner Care and by charitable donations. This work has looked at: Understanding the resource implications of male care-giving for ageing family members; Evaluating an End of Life ‘Supporting Older Carers’ pilot programme; and work focused around ‘Unpacking the home’: family carers reflections on dying at home.

A second strand of work focuses on the role of gendered activity interventions for older men. This strand also builds on a theme in one of the carers’ projects around the needs and wellbeing of older men, but extends to addressing social isolation amongst the growing numbers of lonely and lone-dwelling older men. Work here has engaged with innovative interventions such as the Men in Sheds programmes. This work has been funded by Age UK and by NIHR.

A third strand of work focuses on technology innovation to support independence and self-reliance amongst older people. This work has involved EU partners looking at the development of ethical and normative frameworks to underpin the development of telecare and telehealth developments (a framework that has been subsequently taken up by Age UK). Current work involves looking and the development of new technologies to support wound care for older people and those with dementia to in the home work. This work is being undertaken in collaboration with the Universities of Leeds and Liverpool Universities and includes practice-based and industrial partners. Phases 1 and 2 have been funded through the N8 whilst a bid to develop Phase 3 has been submitted for funding through a Leverhulme Programme Grant.

Though primarily a qualitative researcher with interests in using innovative and participatory methodologies, I work across disciplines and hence most research I engage with invovles some aspect of mixed methodologies.

I am the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty with responsibility for the strategic development and oversight of the Faculty’s postgraduate taught and research programmes. I co-chair the Faculty’s Teaching Committee and sit on the University’s Academic Standards and Quality Committee, the Dean of Graduate School Advisory Group and the University Fees and Target Setting Committee.

Currently I teach and convene on:

• DHR 511: Theory & Debate in Health and Medicine
• Special Study Modules for Medical Students on:

-          Health and Ageing

-          Rural Health

-          Health and Place

• I also contribute to the DHR Distance Learning Doctoral Programme Summer School and Autumn Academies.