George Kernohan is a Professor of Health Research at Ulster University. He leads research projects to make things better for people in need of support across the life course: from safe-birth, through health promotion and health technology to help people with long-term conditions like Parkinson’s disease and dementia, He completed work on  the effectiveness of Day Care, which allows people to get support whilst still staying at home. He has developed a new model for knowledge transfer: this is a critical step in getting research into practice.

He is currently working with global partners to understand how birth can be made safer in very vulnerable settings, through education and sharing coping strategies.

He was a member of the steering group that developed the National guidelines for professionals involved with Palliative care in People with Parkinson’s disease in Ireland.  He has advisory roles with Parkinson’s UK, with Alzheimer’s Society in the UK, with the Institutes of Health Research in Canada and with the European Commission.  Above all, George has an interest in planning and achieving better outcomes from multi-professional health research work where users have priority.

With colleagues in Western HSC Trust, George led an evaluation of the pressure relieving properties of hospital mattresses that resulted in wholesale replacement of patient surfaces across Northern Ireland.

He has 250 peer reviewed publications which have more than 5,500 citations: his “H index” is 45.

Creation and sharing knowledge to improve health and well-being through various processes. Interested in health technology assessment and promotion of specific scientific advices for health gain. Holistic views of health enhanced through theory, such as Hodges Health Career Model, theory of triadic influence, technology adoption and theories of motivation. Developer of integrated knowledge sharing model known as EMTReK.  Interested in sharing knowledge for humanitarian and disaster healthcare. Transfer and sharing knowledge with low-income fragile contexts. Working on intergenerational activities to improve care of older people. Working ro enhance the role of chaplaincy in addressing spiritual distress and other personal needs, across cultures. Addressing health at the margins, across disciplinary, professional, geographical boundaries. 

George is very interested in Research Ethics- getting things right for research participants.  He worked with Office for Research Ethics Committees in Northern Ireland for 10 years and currently chairs the Institute of Nursing and Health Research “Filter Committee” for all research applications.

Linked with his broad approach to health, Prof Kernohan has teaching interests on getting research into practice.  This is also a focus of his modules at Ulster University through courses on clinical practice development and evidence-based practice, as part of every specialist practice qualification in the School of Nursing.

George holds a visiting position at University of South Wales where he supports the application of research in humanitarian settings as part of a multidisciplinary course leading to MSc (Disaster Healthcare).  He has held external examiner positions at Trinity College Dublin and is currently external examiner with University of Manchester.

He holds Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.