Karen Windle

Karen's research across integrated health, social and third sector care focused on healthy ageing and dementia, has encompassed well-being, mental health, prevention and early intervention, personalisation, multimorbidity, health and work, health and technology, and palliative and end-of-life care, all within systems (Integrated Care Systems, community, primary, secondary, prehospital, tertiary care) and interventions. All her projects have involved health and care clinicians and professionals across the full range of geographical areas (urban, rural, and coastal) and populations; including those seldom-heard voices (e.g., survivors, prisoners, travellers, addicts). Karen's research has led to a national and international standing with all findings and outputs having profound impact on policy and practice. For example, findings from two evaluations directly influenced the shape and type of the support provided during Covid-19, with two further research programmes 'launched' by the Secretary of State for Health and the Minister for Care and Support. Her research outcomes have been cited in seminal policy documents, influenced national policy, ensured strategic, professional, and clinical practitioners can identify and implement evidence-based services, highlighted cost efficiencies across the health and social care economy and improved user’s and carer’s quality of life.

Grants held prior to joining University of Ulster

$200,000             Alzheimer’s Association, ARCOM: METHODEM: Methodological consensus for complex interventions in dementia. Co-Investigator, led by University of Maastricht. (March 2024 – February 2026).

£61,553               NIHR Research Capability Funds: Secondary Dementia Prevention: Developing integrated brain health clinics, a pre-implementation study. Principal Investigator (July 2024 – Feb 2025).

£266,505             Department of Transport: Active Travel Social Prescribing Feasibility Study. Site evaluator supporting Suffolk and Waveney County Council and Suffolk and North East Essex ICB. Principal Investigator (September 2022 – August 2025).

£111,204             National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Cross Programme: Palliative and End of Life Care, Implementing research partnerships, networks and collaborations across Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System, Suffolk County Council and Waveney. Principal Investigator. (January 2022 – November 2022).

£75,523               St Helena Hospice Population Health Management and End of Life Care, Ph.D., studentship. Funded studentship to assess if an end-of-life population health management approach improves care outcomes and experiences. Primary supervisor. (April 2022 – 2025).

£30,000               Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System: Evaluation of the ICOPE assessment to those aged 75 and over. Principal Investigator. (January 2022 – November 2022)

£30,000               Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System: Transition of young people with life limiting conditions from children’s to adult services: A Scoping Review. Principal Investigator. (January – September 2022)

£50,000               Equality and Human Rights Commission: Challenging and monitoring adult social care decisions across the UK. Co-applicant with BMG Research. (September 2021 – April 2022).

£30,000               The Health Foundation: Relationship between cultural identity and health outcomes, Rapid Evidence Review. Principal Investigator. (January 2021 – April 2021).

£144,164             Arts and Humanities Research Council: Bereavement rituals during the Covid-19 pandemic: Implications for mental health support, funerary practices, and public health messaging. Principal Investigator. (December 2020 – August 2022).

£39,977               Health and Safety Executive: Evaluation of options for collection of health and exposure data in different workplaces. Principal Investigator. (November 2020 – March 2021).

£92,000               Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: National evaluation of the Covid-19 loneliness fund. Principal Investigator. (October 2020 – March 2021).

£108,803             Department of Health and Social Care: Evaluation of the NHS Test and Trace App. Principal Investigator. (August 2020 to September 2020).

£Framework       Health and Safety Executive: Provision of Health Sciences Specialist Support Framework. Principal Investigator. (July 2020 – June 2023).

£31,931               University of Oxford: Data, disruptions and disparities in the food system, early feasibility study applying Focus Groups. Principal Investigator. (May 2020 – July 2021).

£59,661               Motability: Secondary Analysis, Disability and Transport applying the National Travel Survey. Principal Investigator. (April 2020 – June 2020).

£45,154               Competitions and Markets Authority: Exploring consumer vulnerability in the funeral market. Principal Investigator. (December 2019 – March 2020).

£260,000             RM Partners: Evaluation of RM partners Cancer Transformation Fund. Principal Investigator with colleagues from Frontier Economic (September 2019 – March 2020).

£1,152,675          Health-Led Trials. Randomised Control Trial to measure effectiveness of the ‘Thrive to Work’ programme, supporting those with mental health challenges and, long-term health conditions to stay in, and return to, work. Co-applicant with Work and Health Unit (August 2018 – September 2021).

£236,112             NIHR Policy Research Programme: Tobacco controls and the changing profiles of smokers. Multimethod evaluation. Principal Investigator. (June 2018 – May 2020).

£629,724             Department of Health, Policy Research Programme: National Evaluation of the Partnerships for Older People Projects. Principal Investigator with co-applicants from the University of Southampton and PSSRU Kent and LSE. Funding for extra year of evaluation (2006 – 2010).