Biography
Julia was a teacher, an A-level senior examiner and an educational author. She is an expert by experience. Her mother had dementia, and Julia became involved, initially as a lead volunteer in an Alzheimer’s Society café and later as a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Society Research Network.
Through this connection she became involved in Alzheimer’s Society funded research projects at Exeter University. This connection has continued for almost 15 years.
She is currently an unpaid carer of her husband who has heart disease, various medical problems, and a diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairment.
Julia has been involved in all aspects of PPIE, including reviewing research applications, being a PPIE representative on grant panels and boards and interviewing. She has particularly enjoyed co-presenting at events, co-authoring articles for journals, co-producing plays, films, books and websites.
Many of these activities have focused on dementia, ageing and frailty, and some have been long-term. Several PenARC projects have been about implementing PPIE
She has been on the PMG of a three-year ARC project and an extension of the ARC about National Priority Research on Ageing, Dementia and Frailty, managing several research projects. A highlight that illustrated PPIE in action was presenting at a BGS conference.
Julia is proud of her long-term (10 years) involvement with the IDEAL project as a founding member of our ALWAYS group. Julia now has a co-lead PPIE role in DeNPRU at Exeter .