My research involves the exploration of social inclusion in childhood survivors of brain injury. This includes a range of contextual factors that either help or hinder inclusion. These include the cognitive, social and environmental challenges that these children, and their families, deal with on a daily basis. As part of this work my research explores the use of technology as a tool for rehabilitation.

Member of the Centre for Children's Rights

Leadership roles

• Module coordinator for Evidence Based Nursing for Quality Improvement 3rd year
• Mentor for University Post-doc mentoring programme
• Deputy Chair of MHLS faculty Research Ethics Committee
• Co-Chair of the Research and Quality Improvement group of the Forensic Mental Health Managed Care Network
• Co-Champion Athena Swan Gender Initiative
• Member of School Management Board
• Chair of School Culture Working Group

Teaching roles

I currently teach onto the undergraduate and postgraduate curricula:

• Module coordinator Evidence Based Nursing for Quality Improvement 3rd year, BSc Nursing.
• 'Qualitative research methods' MSc in Nursing.
• 'Applied research methods and statistics' MSc in Nursing. 

Currently funded projects

NIHR. Heads Together - Understanding Acquired Brain Injury: Addressing the knowledge and skills gap in Social Work education in order to improve practice and outcomes. With Bateman (PI) (University of Essex), Bald (University of Essex), Clark (London School of Economics & Political Science), Holloway (Head First Assessment Rehabilitation and Case Management LLP), Mantell (BISWG Limited), Norman (University of Plymouth). Co-I (2022-2023) £253,000.

ESRC. Impact of COVID-19 on family carers for profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD): Development of a support programme. With Brown (QUB), Marsh (QUB), McCann (Trinity College Dublin), Truesdale (University of Glasgow), Hughes (University of Sheffield), Todd (University of South Wales). PI (2021-2022) £270,000.  

Department of Health NI. Development of the training programme for The Framework for Integrated Therapeutic Care (FITC). With Mooney (QUB), Teggart (DoH). PI (2020-2021) £55,000.

Burdett Trust for Nursing. Co-producing an educational intervention about the nursing profession, for post primary school children, to increase recruitment of males. With Monaghan (Co-PI) (QUB), Mitchell (QUB), Rainey (QUB). Co-PI (2020-2021) £10,000.

Department of Health NI. Development and implementation of a Framework for Integrated Therapeutic Care (FITC) for Northern Ireland. With Mooney (PI) (QUB), Teggart (DoH). (2020-2021) £63,000.

Burdett Trust for Nursing. Developing Best Practice Guidelines for learning disability nurses and professionals regarding the relationships and sexual education (RSE) needs of children and young adults with learning disabilities. With Brown (Co-PI) (QUB), Marsh (QUB), McCann (TCD) & Truesdale (GU). Co-PI (2020-2021) £100,000.

Completed research projects

Support Needs After Critical Care with O'Neill (UU) and Blackwood (QUB).

Department of Justice NI. Developing a Shared, System-Wide Definition of Mental Health Issues in the Context of the Justice System in Northern Ireland. With Davidson (QUB), Galway (QUB), Butler (QUB), O'Neill (UU) and McSherry (UU). PI (2020) £5,000.

First supervisor on a DEL funded PhD project with Grant (QUB) titled 'An Exploration of Health Visitors’ practice with families affected by parental mental illness and substance misuse.' (2016-2019) PhD student Rachel Leonard.

First supervisor on a Ministry of National Education of Turkey funded PhD project with Lynn (QUB) and McGaughey (QUB) titled 'Exploring parents' motivations for self-referral of children with minor illnesses to emergency departments in Turkey.' (2016-2019) PhD student Ahmet Butun.

First supervisor on a DEL funded PhD project with Lohan (QUB) and Bates-Gaston (Northern Ireland Prison Service) titled ‘Offending behaviour in young adult survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI).’ (2014-2017) PhD student Conall O’Rourke.

External supervisor on a DEL funded PhD project with Moore (UU) and Galway (UU) titled 'Assistive mobile technology for young people recovering from brain injury.' (2015-2018) PhD student Edward Price.

PI on a Department for the Economy (DfE) - Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) award titled 'Improving long-term social, emotional, physical and educational outcomes for children and young adults with neurodisability'. (2017).

PI with Lohan on a Northern Ireland Prison Service funded study titled 'Preparing young men to be fathers. The roll out and study of If I were Jack in Hydebank Wood College'. (2016). 

Co-PI with Lohan on a NIHR funded study titled ‘How can health services contribute most effectively to facilitating successful transition of young people with complex health needs from childhood to adulthood?: a longitudinal study’ (2014-2016).

CI on a NIHR funded study titled 'Increasing boys' and girls' intention to avoid teenage pregnancy: feasibility trial of an interactive video drama based intervention in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland' (2014-2016).

A Cochrane fellowship investigating the effectiveness of technology in the cognitive rehabilitation of children with brain injuries (funded by the R&D office and HRB; with Prof Vicky Anderson, Prof Jon Evans, Dr Carol Hawley and Dr Bronagh Blackwood) (2012-2013).