Contact
Biography
I am a Research Fellow and a Principal Investigator on an ESRC New Investigator Grant, which focuses on the health and social experiences of migrant young people with sickle cell disease in the UK. Before this, I was a co-Principal Investigator on an NIHR Research for Patient Benefit grant at the University of Manchester, exploring the fatigue experiences of children and young people with sickle cell disease to underpin the co-development of a fatigue self-management intervention. Between 2020 and 2021, I was an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Nottingham.
I have a PhD in Nursing from the University of Manchester (2019), an MSc in Advanced Nursing from the University of Nottingham (2014) and a BSc in Nursing from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana). Following several years of nursing practice in Ghana, I moved into research, firstly as a doctoral student. My interest in medical sociology started during my PhD, and I have been transitioning into the field following my PhD.
Expertise Summary
My overarching research interest is in the experiences of children and young people with congenital or long-term medical illnesses, encompassing health, social, educational, developmental and transitional experiences. Issues examined include life and transition experiences, self-management and sociological concepts such as belonging, normality, identity, stigma, gender, culture and migration in the context of chronic childhood medical conditions.
Teaching Summary
- Qualitative Research
- Art-based/Participatory Research
- Children ad Young People Research
- Chronic Medical Illnesses
- Systematic and Scoping Review
These teaching and learning interests are based on her research experience and interests.
Research Summary
I am the PI on "Young Migrants, Disability and Chronic Illness: The Case of African Children and Young People with Sickle Cell Disorders Who Migrate to England", which has received funding from ESRC… read more
Selected Publications
EVANS, C, POKU, B, PEARCE, R, ELDRIDGE, J, HENDRICK, P, KNAGGS, R, MCLUSKEY, J, TOMCZAK, P, THOW, R, HARRIS, P, CONWAY, J and COLLIER, R, 2020. Characterising the evidence base for advanced clinical practice in the UK: A scoping review protocol, BMJ Open. 10, e036192
Current Research
I am the PI on "Young Migrants, Disability and Chronic Illness: The Case of African Children and Young People with Sickle Cell Disorders Who Migrate to England", which has received funding from ESRC under the New Investigator Grant scheme. Migration is a defining feature of the 21st century due to conflicts, natural disasters, globalisation, climate change and socio-economic inequalities. This has created a super-diverse transnational migrant population. Nonetheless, international migrants are typically represented as young, health and able-bodied who use health-related services sparingly. This perceived "healthy migrant effect" disguises minority experiences within the population, such as the experiences of children and young people with long-standing chronic illnesses who have to migrate to another country. This project will first investigate the post-transition experiences of children and young people who migrate to the UK with a long-standing chronic illness. In so doing, it will help identify ways to improve the health and social experiences and care of this vulnerable population to support their transition and integration.
Past Research
- Explored the fatigue experiences of children and young people living with sickle cell disorders in the UK to guide the development of a fatigue self-management intervention.
- Reviewed the evidence on self-management interventions for children and young people with sickle cell disorders.
- Characterised the evidence base for advanced clinical practice in the UK.
- Reviewed the evidence on hospital discharge interventions for older adults.
- Explored the life experiences and self-care practices of Ghanaian adolescents in the context sickle cell disorder-related fatigue.
- Reviewed the evidence on the how adolescents experience life with sickle cell disorders.
- Reviewed the effectiveness of interventions targeting reductions in paediatric emergency department attendance for non-urgent care.
Future Research
My research ambition is to develop a research programme focused on investigating intersectionalities in the care and life experiences of children and young people with chronic illnesses to identify and address hidden inequalities and inadequacies in care and service provisions.