The Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme is excited to announce our first ever MRes student: Kelly Kelly. Kelly’s studentship is hosted by the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice at the University of the West of Scotland. She is supervised by Dr Anna Jack-Waugh and Dr Eileen Harkess-Murphy.

Kelly already has extensive experience working with people with dementia and is passionate about enhancing the quality of life for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. She is a registered mental health nurse specialising in dementia care and has a BA (Hons) in Psychology.

For this specific MRes project, Kelly’s research will focus on the gap in knowledge around the use of trauma-informed approaches within dementia care, with emphasis on the experience of people with young onset dementia.  This research is important because people with young onset dementia experience a greater time on a diagnosis pathway than people with late-onset dementia. This can lead to a greater risk of harm associated with the psychological distress of a diagnosis that may cause trauma. Therefore, the outcomes of this research will help allow for a trauma-informed interpretation of the process and the patient/family perspective, which will improve the diagnosis pathway for people with young onset dementia.

Kelly’s project has recently started/ Talking about the Studentship, she said

“I am delighted to be part of The Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme hosted by the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice at the University of the West of Scotland. I am looking forward to contributing to this innovative research and continuing my nursing career dedicated to dementia care.”

Project supervisor, Anna, added:

“Eileen Harkess-Murphy and I are delighted to be supported by Alzheimer Scotland to develop this first MRes studentship.  Our candidate, Kelly, has an excellent background, and clear support from the Active Voices Network. This will enable her to explore the potential for a trauma-informed diagnostic approach to the diagnosis of Young Onset Dementia.”

Kelly is enthusiastic about advancing her research initiatives in this field, aiming to make a meaningful impact on individuals affected by dementia. Alzheimer Scotland and the SDRC look forward to working with Kelly and the rest of the team at the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice (ASCPP) throughout this MRes project. We will make sure to keep SDRC members updated on Kelly’s research project as it progresses.

In the meantime, please make sure to follow Kelly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellykresearch

and the ASCPP:  https://twitter.com/AlzScotCPP

The Alzheimer Student Research Programme support the next generation of dementia and brain health research by funding studentships at institutions across Scotland. Find out more here