Daniel Allen – Senior Research Associate
Daniel is a public health scientist by background with an interest in social determinants of health and health inequalities. His aim for the GRACE project is to ensure that all patients undergoing radiotherapy for gynaecological cancers have equal access to, and information regarding, their care.
His professional background is in stroke research where he has worked with various stroke survivors, charities and NHS bodies across the Northwest of England to examine the barriers to outdoor walking, as well as looking at the benefits of nature and the outdoors to stroke survivors and their carers mental and physical health. He is currently working towards completing his PhD by publication.
Daniel has recently published his first paper examining the effectiveness of different types of therapeutic food for severely malnourished infants. Before this Daniel worked as an editorial health researcher in London and as a ski instructor in Canada and Italy. In his spare time, he enjoys running and hiking and is currently trying (slowly!) to summit all the Wainwrights in the Lake District National Park.
Lisa Ashmore – Joint Project Lead and Work Package 1 Lead
Lisa is passionate about including traditionally excluded voices in understanding health services and care. Through GRACE, she hopes to understand what people consider when they are consenting for radiotherapy and how they reflect on the decisions they make so that informed consent can be improved.
Lisa trained as a therapeutic radiographer before completing a PhD in Sociology. She is now a Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at Lancaster University where she applies social scientific methods and theories to understand experiences of radiotherapy.
Lisa really hopes to get back into jogging one day but currently enjoys finding excuses not to.
Dr Amy Fisher – Consultant Gynaecological Oncology Surgeon
Amy completed her medical degree in 2008. Following an academic foundation programme in LTHTR she relocated to the North East to begin her Obstetrics & Gynaecology training, subspecialising in Gynaecology Oncology for the last 6 years.
Amy is a skilled Robotic Surgeon and RCOG Subspecialist Gynaecological Oncology surgeon, being appointed Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology in 2022. Amy believes in data driven clinical improvements and has the acquired clinical research skills to enable her to continue this. Amy aspires to expand her repertoire of robotic surgical skills in the management of advanced and recurrent gynaecological malignancies and develop collaborative working groups with other surgical specialty colleagues.
Emily Holmes – Joint Project Lead and Work Package 3 Lead
Emily is a health economist who measures preferences for healthcare. Within GRACE she is keen to ensure that evidence of patient experience, and views on the trade-offs between the benefits and risks of radiotherapy, are built into decision support.
Emily is committed to supporting the career development of researchers. She is a Reader in the North Wales Medical School and academic lead for Researcher Development at Bangor University. Her research uses behavioural economics to assess how people’s views and behaviours impact the value of services delivered by the NHS.
Emily enjoys cycling across the Menai Bridge on her way to work, in nice weather!
Danny Hutton – Network Manager for the North West Radiotherapy Network and co-Lead for Work Package 4
Danny’s aim for the GRACE project is to support people in their decision making process by facilitating informed conversations about the benefits of treatment and the associated effects.
Danny is a Therapeutic Radiographer with a background of clinical practice, research and partnership working across diverse organisations to deliver transformation and innovation.
Danny manages the North West Radiotherapy Network that provides system leadership and the delivery of NHS England’s vision for the modernisation of radiotherapy services.
Danny is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University Medical School.
Danny’s weekends are mainly spent watching his son play football. Danny loves the outdoors – running, cycling, mountaineering although can increasingly be found gardening.
Anna Lewis – Project Coordinator
Anna’s purpose for this project is to, as much as possible, orchestrate the smooth running of background things, so that her colleagues can carry out the valuable work as stress-free as possible. Anna’s professional background is in therapy and mental health, and she has returned to education whilst working on the GRACE project to add another therapeutic string to her bow.
Beth McGladrigan
Beth is a PhD student with a keen interest in proactive strategies to enhance the care and well-being of individuals living with and beyond cancer. She is dedicated to supporting the GRACE team in their efforts to ensure that anyone undergoing radiotherapy for gynaecological cancers is fully informed and supported in their decision-making process.
Beth is a PhD researcher at Lancaster University and an HCPC registered Therapeutic Radiographer working at Rosemere Cancer Centre. She has recently presented her scoping review exploring prehabilitation interventions for individuals with gynaecological cancer undergoing radiotherapy at the Society of Radiographers’ Annual Radiotherapy Conference. Her current research focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of person-centred counselling both prior to and during radiotherapy.
At Rosemere, Beth actively participates in the radiotherapy department’s open days, led by Shelley Shuttleworth. These events provide individuals with cancer and their loved ones an opportunity to explore the department and ask questions in a relaxed and welcoming environment before starting treatment. Witnessing the positive impact of these initiatives has strengthened Beth’s passion for improving the support and information offered to patients before radiotherapy.
Dr Jennifer Pomfret – Consultant Clinical Psychologist
The main reason which led Jennifer to want to support this research project is the knowledge that it is absolutely needed! Far too many patients report that they wished they had fully considered the possible side effects. For some patients, side effects significantly impact quality of life. Alongside physical side effects, patients can struggle psychologically with their decision, and use words such as regret and guilt, which can understandably affect wellbeing. It would be Jennifer’s best hope that if patients are well informed and supported in their decision making, then this will have a positive impact on patients’ lives.
Jennifer is the Professional Lead for Oncology Psychology at Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust (LTHTr). She has the privilege of working with patients living with cancer. She has family experiences of cancer which have helped to deepen her understanding of what navigating a life of cancer looks like for the patient and the wider family. Jennifer provides teaching to staff teams, therapy to patients and is continuously looking to improve the services that can be offered.
Jennifer has a young family and values the importance of grabbing life, finding fun (and the sun when she can!).
Claire Powlesland – Therapeutic Radiographer
Claire is a therapeutic radiographer who works as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner specialising in the treatment of gynaecological cancers and the long-term consequences of pelvic radiotherapy at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Alongside this, she is undertaking a PhD partly funded by the College of Radiographers at Leeds Beckett University, looking at developing services to support those living with the adverse late effects of pelvic radiotherapy following a diagnosis of cervix cancer.
In her clinical work, Claire cares for patients diagnosed with gynaecological cancers throughout the radiotherapy pathway from discussions around radiotherapy and initial consent, through to the management of long-term consequences of pelvic radiotherapy. She hopes that through GRACE it will be possible to find new ways to support patients to make informed decisions during detailed discussions regarding radiotherapy.
When not working or studying, Claire enjoys participating in agility classes with her dog Bailey.
Helen Pritchard – Patient Researcher
Helen was diagnosed with stage 3 womb cancer in 2021. Having been treated with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, she now wants to use her experience to help other patients. Helen’s professional background is in primary school teaching. She is particularly interested in the way information about cancer treatment, possible side effects and any mitigation is communicated to patients, because although she sometimes beats herself up for not asking enough questions at the time, she also recognises that perhaps she simply wasn’t told enough! She joins the GRACE project to provide patient insight into how appropriate and timely knowledge about radiotherapy might be given so that patients can be enabled to make informed decisions about their bodies and their future health. She is a regular early morning runner, enjoying the river and canal paths in Abergavenny.
Lynsey Rice – BSc HONS, Therapeutic Radiographer, Projects Manager Radiotherapy UK
Lynsey wants to improve awareness of radiotherapy for patients, the public and wider healthcare professionals as one of the key treatments in the fight against cancer. To improve the understanding of its benefits and side effects to inform and empower the 1 in 2 of us who will be faced with a cancer diagnosis.
Lynsey qualified as a therapeutic radiographer in 1996. Her early career was spent in and around London, working in many of the NHS London teaching hospitals. Her more recent clinical experience at The Harley Street Clinic in London enabled her to spend 9 years as the research and development lead radiographer where she developed new treatments and conducted research. Lynsey then held the deputy managers post for 3 years. After a decade of volunteering for Radiotherapy UK, Lynsey has now been Projects Manager for the charity since 2020. This involves campaign and advocacy work for the award-winning #CatchUpWithCancer campaign, writing reports, overseeing the workforce volunteer network, developing educational resources for professionals, and creating PIF (Patient Information Forum) accredited resources for patients and families.
Lynsey enjoys bringing her clinical experience to the table when co-producing resources for patients that are accessible, friendly and free from jargon. She is passionate about improving access to the most up-to-date, modern radiotherapy in the UK to ensure the future is not a postcode lottery for patients.
Claire Selby – Project Manager
Claire joined the GRACE team as Project Manager after learning about the amazing work which the team had already done. She is passionate about ensuring projects run smoothly, with an especial focus on collaborative partnership working, and public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE). This way of working helps to form more joined-up ways of thinking which will improve health research, and ultimately make a real difference to people’s lives. Claire’s background is working in Project Management both in the third sector – in arts and heritage, volunteering and in public health – as well as in the management of large research programmes. Like lots of the team, Claire loves to be outside in her spare time, especially walking in the hills with her family including her dog, Bramble.
Hilary Stewart – Research Fellow and Work Package 2 Lead
Hilary is a qualitative researcher enthusiastic about the value of lived experience in research. She hopes that the outcomes of the GRACE project will support services to better prepare patients for life after treatment.
Hilary has a PhD in sociology and is interested in people’s experiences of care, medicine, science and technology. She is a Patient & Public Voice representative for the North West Radiotherapy Network.
She enjoys watching Scotland play rugby and rambly walks with her dog, Nevis.
