Angela Clifford

Biography

PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), PGCert in Higher Education and Professional Practice.

Dr Angela Clifford is a Research Associate and Deputy Director for Research in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Keele University. She is an experienced research methodologist with a focus on the delivery of effective services in primary and community care, in particular around aging well, carer support and dementia. Angela has an interest in impactful research that addresses the needs of underserved communities as well as staff wellbeing.

Angela completed her undergraduate and postgraduate training in Psychology and Psychological Research at Bangor University, North Wales. Her dissertation studies focused on cognitive neuroscience and neurodevelopment. She moved to Loughborough University to complete a Faculty-funded PhD, which investigated the protective link between physical activity and cognitive function in older age (https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/thesis/Physical_activity_and_cognition_in_the_elderly/9609842).

On completion of her doctorate, Angela worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wolverhampton for 10 years. She worked closely with academic health and nursing colleagues on research and consultancy projects, teaching, doctoral supervision and mentorship. She led the setting up and management of a dementia community of practice across the university and external partners. Angela was chair of the research ethical advisory panel for health and allied professions for four years and reviewer on the NHS sponsorship review panel.

Angela joined Keele University as a Trial Manager in the Clinical Trials Unit where she oversaw project management and research governance procedures on two randomised controlled trials. She moved to her current role in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in June 2023 and is working on studies and stakeholder involvement in primary care, mental health and methodological research. Angela also works within the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands (NIHR ARCWM) capacity development programme for dementia.

Research and scholarship

Angela has led research studies across multiple areas of epidemiology, psychology, mental health, dementia, end of life care, long-term conditions, multimorbidity, musculoskeletal health, diabetes and maternal wellbeing. She has published widely from these studies. Angela has a wealth of experience in quantitative and qualitative methodologies including observational studies, randomised controlled trials, systematic review and cohort studies, and she is proficient in developing and delivering a range of research methods including surveys, interviews and computer-based assessments.

Angela currently works on studies across primary care, mental health and methodological research. For example, she is co-lead on the Hidden Voices in Primary Care study of recruitment and retention of general practice non-medical, clinical staff. She also works on the E-Primed study investigating complex emotional needs in prison populations. Angela has a growing network of collaborators across higher education, clinical and third sector organisations with whom she is developing programmes of research in her key areas of expertise. As a methodologist, Angela’s research interests are wide ranging and include dementia, long-term conditions, end-of-life care and carer wellbeing.

As well as research, Angela has led consultancy and service evaluation projects, working with external partners including local authority, charity, NHS and industry. She has authored reports to organisations including Birmingham and Lewisham African and Caribbean Health Inequalities Review, City of Wolverhampton Council, Black Country LETC, Wolverhampton Community Trust, Compton Hospice and Generated Health Ltd. Angela has contributed widely to knowledge exchange with public sector and charitable organisations and has developed research networks with teams across disciplines, internationally with academic peers in Europe, China, Australia and Indonesia, and with clinical colleagues.

Teaching

Angela has experience teaching on a range of topics related to research methodologies and quantitative analysis through levels 6-8, and she currently supports the School of Nursing and Midwifery’s Research Application in Clinical Practice module.

Angela has experience of doctoral supervision. She has seen two doctoral students through to completion and currently supervises PhD and Professional Doctorate students at Keele.