My research interests are related to human Nutriton and physiology  with a focus on nutritional education for healthcare professionals and nutritional practice to reduce the triple burden of malnutrition in primary and secondary care.  Development of  evidence based practice for planned nutritional care and evaluation of interventions. Actively working with NNEdPro https://www.nnedpro.org.uk/, and collaborating with Nutritank and Culinary Medicine UK. Other research has included the use of PARO in the care and support of people with dementia, infection prevention & control when introducing novel devices into clinical practice,  the support and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace and in professional education.

As C0-PI for the MTKi UK  project, with funding support from European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), and IMGO Foundation, we have engaged with women living in Arbroath, Dundee, to tackle food insecurity in underserved UK communities

Embodying the principles of PPIE the initiative conducted a needs assessment to identify specific challenges and opportunities for impact within these communities, then implemented the Mobile Teaching Kitchen International (MTKi) model. Deliverables of the project included:

Demonstration of Effectiveness: The MTKi model effectively improves participants' nutritional knowledge, cooking and entrepreneurial skills, and dietary behaviours.

Test Feasibility: The feasibility of implementing the MTKi model within the UK's socioeconomic and cultural context, adapting the model as necessary.

Assess Scalability: Demonstrate the model's potential for expansion to reach a broader population across diverse communities.

Empower Communities: Fostering a culture of self-sufficiency and empowerment in communities to support healthier food choices and improved nutrition.

Generate Evidence: Collect quantitative data on changes in dietary behaviours and community knowledge dissemination.

Inform Policy and Advocacy: Use collected evidence to advocate for policy changes and resource allocation to address food insecurity and malnutrition in the UK.

https://www.mtki.org/uk

This project is extending to East London during 2026-7

Service improvement

AIM Foundation Grant supported development and implementation of Nutritional care of Adult People (NUTCAP) service improvment  project that supported undergradute nursing students to actively engage with clincial audit across different health settings (Adult, MH and Child), and to identify and implement  local solutions to improve nutriton screening and planned care. This was presented at BAPEN conference in 2024. Now leading on the development of a NIHR research bid to tackle the entrenched problem of malnutrition in older people across health and social care settings. Using a PPIE approach with a systems-thinking lens to illuminate the enablers and barriers to planned nutrition care in real-world settings, and identify implementable solutions to create sustained impact for improved outcomes.

My supervisory interests include professional education and pedagogy including inclusive design, disability and inclusionary practices, marginalised and disadvantaged groups, nutrition education and health care professional practice, nutritional interventions to address triple burden of malnutrition in primary and secondary care, food poverty and food sustainability.

In teaching I adopt and inclusionary, collaborative approach that utilises traditional teaching with the use of PBL, scenarios, creativity and  technology in a blended approach. Keen to co-create materials within professional education that enables the service user voice and experience,  through narratives and engagement to inform and engage with students. In particular in the support of students from non-traditional backgrounds who are disadvantaged by the design of courses through a white lens, impairment or disability.

Lottery-funded grant in 2010 to set up innovative cooking club  Kids Kitchen, in rural schools in East Sussex that introduces children to core cooking skills, concepts of seasonal food, local food, and healthier eating.   This project was awarded a University of Brighotn Award. Since then, a number of community-developed projects and groups have formed, and I am part of the Wealdon food partnership feeding into the strategic plan to enhance the regional food environment. In this I have supported master's students to map emergency food provision across Wealdon, and the development of Healthy Schools

Contributed to the 2nd global course Nursing on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis. Talk focused on food sustainability in healthcare to mitigate carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. This included understanding of food production, food and health, and food waste.  This work also feeds into onging community engagement locally (food production and reducing food miles in health and social care) with Wealdon CC, formed a key theme in presenting at  Democratising and Decolonising Food and Nutrition: From Science to Society, Kolkata India in December 2024