In this seminar Professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne will share her experience of becoming a research active nurse, and her transition into academia. Through her passion for supporting adults with learning disabilities, in conversation with Prof Kate Woodthorpe, Irene will reflect on key conversations, milestones and moments that have shaped her career to date. The seminar will be of interest to nurses interested in expanding their research experience.

Prof. Irene Tuffrey-Wijne holds the world’s first Chair of Intellectual Disability & Palliative Care and leads Kingston University’s learning disability research group. Her research has focused on the experiences of people with a learning disability (internationally known as ‘intellectual disability’) around death and bereavement; communication and breaking bad news; and the provision of palliative care, including end-of-life care planning. Inclusion of people with a learning disability as study participants and as salaried researchers is a key part of our research, and developing inclusive research methods is one of our strengths.