I contribute to research within the Maternal and Child Health research theme. My research interests are parental mental illness, early interventions for families when parents have mental illness and workforce capacity in relation to family focused practice. As part of the Prato International Research Collaborative I contribute to international and multidisciplinary research (across nursing, psychiatry, psychology, social worker and sociology) to examine and develop workforce initiatives in the field of parental psychopathology. I currnetily contribute to four international projects as part of this group. A previous project In Oslo and Akershus University College in Norway entailed developing digital case studies from the findings of my Irish wide study of psychiatric nurses' family focused practice. The digital case studies have been incorporated within a Masters level module entitled "The Family in Mental Health Services" which aims to prepare health and social care professionals to support parents who have mental illness, their children and families in Norwegian mental health services. I also work closely with the former Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and currently with the SPPG, in my contribution to the Northern Irish Think Family Initiative. As part of this work i acted  as PI for a study examining health and social care professionals' family focused practice across Northern Ireland.  Recommendations informed development of the NI Think Family Action Plan which supports development of family focused practice in both statutory mental health services and the Community and Voluntary Sector CVS). I have also partnered with colleagues in Norway, Australia and NI to develop an eLearning resource on The Family Model.

 Leadership Roles

Link Lecturer for clinical placement areas within the Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Associate Editor for Advances in Mental Health

Member of the Prato International Research Collaborative for Change in Parent and Child Mental Health.

Member of the NI Think Family Social Work Leads  Committee

I review research papers for various  journals including, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, PLos ONE, Fronteirs in Psychiatry. 

Teaching Roles

BSc Nursing (Year 3 Mental Health Nursing primarily):

Current Graduate Supervision

 I currently supervise two PhD students and two Masters students.

Previously Funded Research Projects

1. Grant, A., Devaney, J., Duffy, J., Davidson, Donaghy, M., G., Galway, K., Monds, M. (2016 - 2018).  Health and social care professionals’ family focused practice with parents who have mental illness, their children and families in Northern Ireland. commissioned by HSCB. £100, 000 

2. Davidson, G., Bunting, L., Devaney, J., Duffy, J., Grant, A (2017 - 2018) Regional Audit of the Think Family Initiative. commissioned by HSCB. £31, 394.00

3. Grant, A., Weimand, B., Falkov, A, Hexeberg, A., Donaghy, M  (2017 - 2018) Development of a web based training programme on family focused practice using The Family Model online tool. commissioned by QUB,  HSCB and Akershus University Hospital, Norway. £ 79, 000

4. Grant, A (2019 ). Enhancing family focused practice in the community and voluntary sector using The Family Model. £11,000

5. Bunting, L., McCartan, C., Davidson, G., Grant, A et al (2020). The mental health of children and parents in Northern Ireland: Results of the Youth Wellbeing Prevalence Study. HSCB £811,010,000