My research is focussed on designing, implementing and evaluating educational interventions. Much of my recent work has focussed on care of older people. The thread through all my research is applying an evidence based and implementation science approach to developing education in a range of contexts. 

Care of older people: Current areas of focus: improving community nurses' oral health care for older people, reducing restrictive practices in care homes and education programmes centred around dementia.

Evidence-based programme design and evaluation: I am interested in using pilot studies, logic modelling, RCT methodologies and evidence synthesis to design, pilot and evaluate educational interventions, for example for public awareness of Dementia, Pancreatic Cancer and Parkinson's Disease. I have also applied these methods in the school sector, for example for mental health, smoking prevention, science education and improving education for children living in poverty.

RCT methodologies and mixed methods - I have managed numerous large scale RCTs and have worked closely with multi-disciplinary teams such as clinicians, psychologists, teachers and pharmacists.

Application of cognitive psychology and neuroscience to education and programme design: With my background in psychology and neuroscience, I am passionate about applying the science of learning and memory to programmes for a range of outcomes. 

Undergraduate teaching:

I am the module co-ordinator for the Evidence Based Nursing module in Year 1 of the Professional Nursing (BSc) course. In this module I teach a range of evidence based practice skills including how to find, understand and use research evidence. I teach literature searching, qualitative methods, quantitative methods, and an introduction to statistics for nurses. I am also the module co-ordinator for the Digital Literacy modules across Years 1, 2 and 3.

I teach across the Year 1 curriculum, including Public Health Perspectives, Caring Communication in Nursing and Professionalism in Nursing.

Postgraduate teaching:

I regularly teach evidence based practice skills, evidence synthesis, literature searching and research methods across a range of postgraduate and post-registration courses.

SPR3088 Health and Wellbeing in Later Life

SPR3089 Nursing Care of Older People

Post-registration: 

HSN2071 - Independent Study and Portfolio Development

BSc Specialist Practice Nursing - Respiratory Nursing - QI project development: finding and using research evidence

Student supervision:

I currently supervise four PhD students within the research themes of Chronic Illness & Palliative care and Education & Practice.

I supervise masters research projects on both MSc and GEMS programmes.

I am personal tutor for Professional Nursing (BSc) students.

I am involved in a number of scholarly projects around evidence-based and co-designed education, working actively with the Education and Practice research theme group to conduct pedagogical research alongside my teaching.

Current and recent research projects:

Mitchell G, Stark P, Carter G, McEvoy C, Brown Wilson C (2023-2024) Identifying Priorities for Diabetes Education in Care Homes: A Delphi Study.  HSC R&D Office.

Mitchell G, Stark P, Carter G, McEvoy C, Brown Wilson C (2023-2024) Optimising Care Home Nursing Practice in Diabetes Care: Co-Design of a Digital Intervention.  Burdett Trust for Nursing.

Mitchell G, Stark P, Brown Wilson C, Holden P, Rogers K, Kerr H, Graham-Wisener L, Caughers G, Prue G.  (2023-2024) Co-Creation of an Asynchronous Digital Resource for Healthcare Professional Students about Pancreatic Cancer.  Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer (NIPANC)

Lohan M, Brennan-Wilson A, MacKenzie A, Stark P. & Thurston A. Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic (World Health Organisation)

Mitchell G, Brown Wilson C, Graham-Wisener L, Kerr H, Rogers K, Stark P & Prue G (2022-2023) Co-Design of a Digital Serious Game to Promote Public Awareness about Pancreatic Cancer.  Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer (NIPANC).

Mitchell G, Brown Wilson C, Stark P, Barry H, Birch M (QUB) & Coffey A, McCurtin A, Tuohy D, Graham M, Tierney A, Murphy J (UL) Improving prevention, recognition and management of delirium across the island of Ireland through the co-design of an interdisciplinary digital resource for undergraduate healthcare students.  Higher Education Authority Ireland.

Rainey D, Linden M, Monaghan C, Stark P, Mitchell G. (2021-2022) Co-production of a digital game to improve school-children perception about nursing.  Burdett Trust for Nursing.

Mitchell G, Stark P, Carter G, Parsons C, Barton C, Kelly R, Rogers C & Brown Wilson C (2020-2022) Co-development of a digital intervention to reduce restrictive practices in care homes.  Burdett Trust for Nursing.

Mitchell G, Stark, P, Brown Wilson C, Coleman D, Brocklehurst P, Tsakos G, Lappin C & McKenna G (2020-2022) Development of a digital intervention to improve oral health for older people living with complex needs in the community.  Burdett Trust for Nursing.

Brown Wilson C, Clarke S, Carter G, Stark P, Mitchell G.  (2021-2022) Coproduction of a digital game about dementia for primary school children.  ESRC.

Mitchell G, Carlisle S, McMullan J. Wong A, Stark P. (2020-2021) Co-development of Parkinson's Disease awareness podcast for nursing students.  Public Health Agency Northern Ireland.

Recent awards:

2024 Nurse Education Provider of the Year (team) - Student Nursing Times

2023 Alzheimer's Society Dementia Hero Awards (shortlisted)

2023 Teaching Award - Team Category (Queen's Unviersity Belfast)

2023 Staff Excellence Awards (shortlisted team award, Queen's University Belfast)

2022 Staff Excellence Awards (shortlisted, Delivering Excellence category, Queen's Unversity Belfast)

2022 Postdoctoral Award - Support Category (Queen's University Belfast)

2022 Team Finalist - Teaching Innovation of the Year (Student Nursing Times)

2022 STAR Recognition Award (Queen's University Belfast)

2021 Team Finalist - Partnership of the Year (Student Nursing Times)

2021 Postdoctoral Award (shortlisted and runner-up - Queen's University Belfast)

2021 STAR Recognition Award (Queen's University Belfast)

Citizenship:

I am an active member of the QUB SoNM SWAN Self Assessment Team & Culture working group.

I am an active member of the Queen's Merit Award Assesment Panel.

External bodies and panels:

BMC Geriatrics

BMC Health Services Research

European Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine

Education Endowment Foundation 

Nuffield Foundation 

Campbell Collaboration

International Journal of Educational Research

PLOS One