Diane is an established social care researcher with a national and international reputation for research excellence, leading a novel portfolio of work that has generated new knowledge to inform social care policy and practice in Wales, United Kingdom. She leads impactful social care research with real world application, which has supported change in national social care provision (short breaks) for unpaid carers. Diane’s appointment to ministerial advisory positions, and national and international steering groups highlights the esteem with which her work is held.
Diane’s research and research infrastructure capacity building work has attracted external grant funding totaling £12.5 million over the course of her career, as a lead investigator, principal co-investigator, and co-investigator. Diane’s work is underpinned by a longstanding commitment to collaborative research to improve social care outcomes for older adults and their unpaid carers. Key to Diane’s work is the active involvement and engagement of those with living experience at all stages of the research process. Diane co-leads working group one Health, Care and Support, in PAAR-Net.
Responsive to new opportunities, Diane is delighted to join the new Wales Centre for Vision Services Research in 2025 and is committed to grow social care research that shapes policy and practice solutions in vision services with scientific rigor.
Diane is also Director of Research for the School of Health Sciences, Bangor University.