Liverpool Hospice Research

Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool is proud to be a research active hospice. We have worked hard over previous years to develop our research culture to enable us to give patients, relatives and staff opportunities to participate in research.

Our research team consists of Dr Amara Nwosu, our research lead, and Sarah Stanley, our research nurse.

I am a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Palliative Care at Lancaster Medical School. From a research perspective, I am based within the International Observatory on End of Life Care. I am also the research lead for Research lead (Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool) and a former Research Scholar for the (National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) North West Coast Clinical Research Network (CRN)). Clinically, I work as an Honorary Consultant in Palliative Care at the Royal Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

My PhD project involved the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to evaluate hydration in advanced cancer. For this work, I was awarded the 2014 Twycross Research prize of the Association of Palliative Medicine and received joint 3rd place for the Early Researcher Award of the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC). I also won the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) conference prize on two occasions (2012 and 2014). Previously, I have completed a number of clinical-academic posts as part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Integrated Clinical Academic Training (ICAT) pathway.

I am the ‘Digital Technology’ Editor for the ‘Palliative Medicine’ journal (SAGE Publications). In this role I produce podcasts to enable dissemination of the journals’ work to a wider audience. My research interests includes (1) the evaluation of technology to support care for patients with advanced disease and (2) the use of clinically assisted hydration to manage symptoms.

I have a background in palliative care nursing since 2013, and have been involved in research since 2017. My role in the hospice as research nurse involves supporting research studies, recruitment to studies, co-ordinating journal club and supporting staff through the development of our hospice research culture.

In 2018 I received the Susie Wilkinson Award in recognition for my own personal development in a research role. In 2022 I was a finalist in the Research Student of the Year category at  the North West Coast Research and Innovation Awards.

I recently received a Master of Research (MRes) with distinction, and am currently undertaking a PhD which will explore the views and experiences around the management of digital legacy with patients receiving palliative care, their caregivers, bereaved people and healthcare professionals.
 
I am passionate about giving palliative patients and their caregivers the opportunity to be involved in research, and looking at ways to improve palliative care in the future.