I live in a small village near Peterborough and I am a psychologist by background. Currently I am working as a researcher in palliative and end of life care at the University of Cambridge. I have also conducted research with young people with long term health conditions and have been a school counsellor and secondary school teacher.
I got involved with ARC EoE as a public contributor around 2018. I have a long-term health condition which means I have a lot of contact with health care services and am interested in the experiences that patients and their carers have when accessing services and communicating with health professionals. As a patient I was also invited to take part in research projects and this increased my awareness of how important it is that patients and public are at the heart of the health research agenda, so that studies that are funded reflect what is important and will give the most benefit to service users.
I really enjoy being part of the ARC as a public contributor, particularly my involvement in capacity building, such as helping to recruit the ARC fellowship programme. As a public contributor I am very keen to represent the voice of patients and the public, but as a researcher myself, I also have an insight into the challenges of conducting health research. I hope this gives me a useful perspective on supporting the work of the ARC to ensure that both the researchers and projects undertaken maximise opportunities to improve outcomes for our diverse East of England communities.