I am a PhD Researcher in the school of Health Sciences, working to establish the hydration status of older people, as well as exploring how people living with Dementia drink in long term care settings.

As part of my PhD project, I conducted a complex and robust systematic review and meta-analysis to establish the prevalence of low-intake dehydration amongst non-hospitalised older adults. I conducted a thematic discourse analysis of online posts, from an online public discussion forum, relating to how people living with Dementia drink in long-term care settings (D-DRINC Study B). I then carried out an ethnography in a care home, to observe and understand how people living with dementia drink in a care home setting (D-DRINC Study A). The knowledge generated from this research will then enable us to target the design and development of interventions to groups of older adults, whom are most at risk of low-intake dehydration, to improve drinking and consequently prevent dehydration. Importantly, this research has been developed with contributions from public involvement partners.

I have also worked on numerous other qualitative and quantiative research projects at the UEA, including the THRIVE study about the wellbeing of care home nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic, scoping reviews for the World Health Organisation, and consultancy work for Hastings Voluntary Action to better understand volunteering activities and experiences in Hastings.

Prior to my time at the UEA, I worked as a Research Fellow in the NHS, within the Neuropsychiatry department. I was the Study Co-ordinator for the Enroll-HD study in Birmingham, which is a global, longitudinal, observational study for people affected by Huntington's Disease. I was responsible for data collection, data management and the overall organisation and management of the study in Birmingham. I also developed my own qualitative study: 'Understanding people's experiences of the Enoll-HD Study'.