I am currently a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. I am a registered general and childrens nurse. I worked in University Hospital Galway, Ireland, the Addenbrookes NHS Trust in Cambridge, UK and Our Ladys Childrens Hospital in Dublin. I lecture primarily on the Bachelor of Nursing Degree Programme. I also teach and supervise research at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level. I received the NUIG Presidents Teaching Excellence Award in 2016 and received a further nomination in 2017. I am currently Director of Research in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and chair the school research committee. My current research interests are in qualitative research and evidence synthesis, and psychosocial dementia research in dementia. I am co-convenor of the a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:methods.cochrane.orgqiCochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group ; co-Chair fora target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:quests.ieQUESTS (Qualitative Research in Trials Centre), established in 2016 and embedded withina target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:www.hrb-tmrn.ieHRB-TMRN ; a research associate fora target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:evidencesynthesisireland.ieEvidence Synthesis Ireland and was a member of the Emergency Evidence Response Service (EERS) in response to COVID-19.

My primary expertise is in qualitative research methodology, qualitative evidence synthesis (QES), qualitative research in trials and psychosocial dementia research. I have extensive experience in, and have published on, qualitative case study methodology, qualitative evidence synthesis methodology, data collection, ethics, rigour, paradigms and analysis in qualitative research. I have been awarded several research grants to develop expertise in QES, particularly in the field of trial methodology. I have led and collaborated on several qualitative evidence syntheses, including three published reviews in the Cochrane Library. I am a research associate fora target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:evidencesynthesisireland.ieEvidence Synthesis Ireland and was a member of the Emergency Evidence Response Service (EERS) in response to COVID-19. In 2022, I became a co-convenor of the a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:methods.cochrane.orgqiCochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group . I am Co-Chair fora target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:quests.ieQUESTS (Qualitative Research in Trials Centre), established in 2016 and embedded withina target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:www.hrb-tmrn.ieHRB-TMRN . The mission of QUESTS is to maximise the integration of qualitative research in randomised trials through support, training and primary research. From 2020-2023 I was co-leadfor the Qualitative Research in Trials (QRiT) target group, within the MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership. I am a research associate for the HRB-TMRN. I am a member of the Psychosocial Dementia Research Group based here in the University of Galway. I have been involved in several dementia related projects. More recently I have been awarded a a target=_blank rel=nofollow href=https:hrci.iejoint-funding-schemejoint-funding-past-roundsHRBHRCI Joint funding scheme grant for the INNEACH project: Intergenerational Programmes to enhance social connectivity for people living with dementia, in association with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. This project will begin in 2025 for two years. In line with my interest in qualitative research, I am on the advisory board for the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology (IIQM) and former European Editor for the International Journal of Qualitative Methods (IJQM).

I teach, and have taught, many undergraduate modules since I started in the school in 2008. I am currently year lead for 4th year of the Bachelor of Nursing degree programme. I am module lead for: The Nature of Nursing, Communication and Interpersonal Skills and Research and Evidence for Practice I. I am involved in teaching research and evidence at undergraduate and post graduate programmes. I am involved in inter-professional learning, advanced physical assessment and support students undertaking summer scholarship opportunities in the school.