Audrey's research interests stems from her clinical experience, working in partnership with people with learning or intellectual disability and their family caregivers. 

Audrey's current research integrates her clinical knowledge and experience with her personal interest in the concepts of humanising and empathic home environment designing (designing that puts the person in the centre and can evoke emotion, attention, and influence sensation and wellbeing). She is interested in the influence of 'home' on people, particularly on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. 

Audrey is also embarking on more collaborative research projects using the underpinning occupational therapy/science philosophy of meaningful participation in everyday occupations to better understand the concepts of belonging in one's community through doing and being. She is interested in the use of creative, visual means such as photography/photos as a research method to do so. 

A list of research/supervisory areas of interest can be found further below. 

Audrey's occupational therapy career began in the NHS where she worked in mental health services and subsequently, in learning/intellectual disability services. In this time, she worked with people with complex health and social care needs, alongside their families, carers and support services; with the aim of supporting their occupational participation in life. She moved into academia after 26 years of working in the NHS. 

She is currently working toward her PhD by Publication, which focuses on the concepts of humanising, empathic and safe home environment designing for people with intellectual disabilities. This considers the sensory influence and use of space within home designing and how it may affect one's emotions and participation in order to thrive and flourish within that space. Her collaborative research with experts-by-experience and colleagues in practice aims to increase the understanding of the occupational therapy contribution to this area. The overall goal is to better support people with intellectual disabilities to live a safe and sustainable quality of life in their homes and communities. 

Audrey teaches pottery and photography as therapeutic occupations within the occupational therapy course curriculums. She enables learners to experience these creative occupations in order to understand and utilise them as agents of change for individuals within their environments. She is excited to be channeling her enthusiasm for these occupations into a new collaborative research initiative, which is seeking to develop the concept of community belonging through photographic research methods.

In 2023, Audrey was awarded the Royal College of Occupational therapists Research Career Development grant to support the following research study: The occupational therapy contribution to good home environment design to support the participation and wellbeing of  people with intellectual disabilities.

Audrey is a member of the University of Brighton  SOLID Research Group and Centre of Arts and Wellbeing (CAW) and and her other research projects can be found here. 

Audrey's clinical expertise is in the area of intellectual disabilities.  Where appropriate, she shares examples of her clinical knowledge and experience in this area, using current policies, best practice evidence and latest developments to help illuminate and reflect real-life practice. She uses a mix of blended learning methods in her teaching, such as online resources, practical approaches and real life case studies.

As a tutor, Audrey embraces the problem-based learning (PBL) approach, embedded across the occupational therapy programme at University of Brighton. This is an interactive and inclusive approach, which facilitates small groups of students to develop their ability to be independent thinkers and lifelong learners. Audrey adopts a ‘just-right’ challenging and supportive approach to illicit a balance of critical as well as reflective and 'deeper' thinking from students. She is, at the same time, welcoming and respectful of what each student brings from their personal and professional background, which contribute to the overall experience of shared learning and knowledge.

Audrey supervises MSc students on their research dissertations in her areas of interest which include, but is not limited to:

• Humanistic home environment designing to support wellbeing and participation
• The importance and influence of 'home' (and in relation to the concepts of 'doing, being, becoming, belonging').
• The concept of belonging in one's community.
• Human rights and occupational justice for marginalised people.   
• Learning/intellectual disabilities. 
• Conducting a systematic or scoping review as a research method.
• The use of photographic methods in research (photovoice, photo elicitation, photo novella).
• Qualitative research.
• Sensory integration and processing.
• Dementia and family caregiving.