Professor Irene Higginson OBE
Executive Dean, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
- Founding Professor, Cicely Saunders Institute for Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation
- Professor of Palliative Care & Policy
Research interests
- Palliative care
Biography
Professor Higginson, OBE, is Executive Dean of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care and Faculty Vice Dean (Research). She is also Director of the Cicely Saunders Institute at King’s College London, the world’s first purpose-built Institute of palliative care, integrating research, education, clinical services and support and information. She is an NIHR Senior Investigator (now Emeritus) and in 2013 was awarded Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences for her contribution to the field.
Professor Higginson has active research programmes investigating treatments, symptom management, access and services in palliative care. She has published over 700 articles in peer-reviewed journals, plus several books. Her research interests and publications are in; quality of life and outcome measurements; evaluation of palliative care especially of new services and interventions; epidemiology; clinical audit; effectiveness; psychosocial care; symptom assessment; breathlessness; cachexia/anorexia; and elderly care.
Professor Higginson is Scientific Director for the charity Cicely Saunders International. She is currently very involved with symptom management; palliative and end-of-life care for COVID-19 patients.
Research interests
Quality of life and outcome measurements; evaluation of palliative care especially of new services and interventions; epidemiology; clinical audit; effectiveness; psychosocial care; symptom assessment; breathlessness; cachexia/anorexia; elderly care; COVID-19
Research profile
Research
Children’s Palliative Outcome Scale
The C-POS project is a person-centred outcome measure for children, young people and families affected by life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.
Project status: Ongoing
Better Treatments for Refractory Breathlessness
Better Treatments for Refractory Breathlessness (BETTER-B) aims to improve the lives of people with severe breathlessness.
Project status: Ongoing
Big & Routine Data-Based Palliative & End of Life Care Research
The big data research projects include a range of research studies using large-scale routinely collected datasets to explore various end-of-life outcomes.
Project status: Ongoing
International Access Rights & Empowerment II
IARE II is an observational study of frail older people who do not have access to specialist palliative care services.
Project status: Ongoing
Better End of Life Project
Understanding experiences of dying, death, and bereavement in the UK, and compelling local and national policy-makers to act to improve people’s experiences.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding Factors that Influence End-of-Life Decisions in Older Adults with Dementia
Investigating the systems-level factors that contribute to burdensome end-of-life care in older adults with dementia.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding Factors that Influence Why People with Dementia Make Transitions from the Community to Acute Hospital Care Settings in the Last Months of Life
Utilising routine data to understand why people with dementia move between healthcare settings in the months preceding their death.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding the Impact of Community Health & Social Care Services on Hospitalisation in the Last Months of Life
Examining primary and community health care and hospital admissions among people with cancer in their last 90 days of life.
Project status: Ongoing
Methods for Researching End of Life Care - Processes of consent
Methods for Researching End of Life Care (MORECare) is developing best practice guidance and processes of consent for adults lacking capacity.
Project status: Completed
Managing Care for Adults During Clinical Uncertainty in Community Hospitals
Development and feasibility evaluation of a new Symptom & Psychosocial Assessment & Communication Evaluation (SPACE) tool.
Project status: Ongoing
News
Academic promotions in Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
Eight academics in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care have been awarded promotions during the 2022-23 year.
Professor Eduardo Bruera awarded Fellowship of King's College
Professor Eduardo Bruera MD FAAHPM has been awarded a Fellowship of King’s in recognition of his exceptional contribution to King’s
Nursing at King's ranked #2 in the world for fifth year in a row
According to global higher education analysts QS in their latest World University Rankings by Subject.
King's welcomes The Princess Royal to campus
The Cicely Saunders Institute (CSI) at King’s, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care (NMPC) welcomed Her Royal Highness The...
Patient survey reveals preference and economic cost of breathlessness services
A new study has examined patient preferences for breathlessness services and determined the cost savings of these provisions for the NHS.
Breathlessness treatments do reduce patient distress
According to new research from the Cicely Saunders Institute.
Less deprived areas saw biggest increase in deaths at home during pandemic
Deaths at home increased the most in the least deprived areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research has found.
Quicker palliative care referrals needed to support severely ill COVID patients
Severe breathlessness in COVID patients with co-morbidities should be used as a signal for quicker referral for palliative care to help manage their symptoms...
Matthew Maddocks promoted to Professor Health Services Research & Rehabilitation
Matthew Maddocks, a Reader in Health Services Research, and a world-leading researcher on the intersections between rehabilitation and palliative care has...
New Professor of Palliative Care & Child Health
Lorna Fraser, a world-leading researcher in child health and palliative care, has been appointed Professor of Palliative Care & Child Health at King's College...
Events
Perseverance Trust Nightingale Fellowship Lecture 2022
This annual online lecture features talks from our staff, students and Nightingale Fellowship Award winners.
Please note: this event has passed.
Cicely Saunders International Annual Lecture 2020
Palliative care in an era of COVID-19: Perspectives from three continents
Please note: this event has passed.
Spotlight
Transforming the management of breathlessness in advanced illness
The drug-free support helping people cope with breathlessness
Research
Children’s Palliative Outcome Scale
The C-POS project is a person-centred outcome measure for children, young people and families affected by life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.
Project status: Ongoing
Better Treatments for Refractory Breathlessness
Better Treatments for Refractory Breathlessness (BETTER-B) aims to improve the lives of people with severe breathlessness.
Project status: Ongoing
Big & Routine Data-Based Palliative & End of Life Care Research
The big data research projects include a range of research studies using large-scale routinely collected datasets to explore various end-of-life outcomes.
Project status: Ongoing
International Access Rights & Empowerment II
IARE II is an observational study of frail older people who do not have access to specialist palliative care services.
Project status: Ongoing
Better End of Life Project
Understanding experiences of dying, death, and bereavement in the UK, and compelling local and national policy-makers to act to improve people’s experiences.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding Factors that Influence End-of-Life Decisions in Older Adults with Dementia
Investigating the systems-level factors that contribute to burdensome end-of-life care in older adults with dementia.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding Factors that Influence Why People with Dementia Make Transitions from the Community to Acute Hospital Care Settings in the Last Months of Life
Utilising routine data to understand why people with dementia move between healthcare settings in the months preceding their death.
Project status: Ongoing
Understanding the Impact of Community Health & Social Care Services on Hospitalisation in the Last Months of Life
Examining primary and community health care and hospital admissions among people with cancer in their last 90 days of life.
Project status: Ongoing
Methods for Researching End of Life Care - Processes of consent
Methods for Researching End of Life Care (MORECare) is developing best practice guidance and processes of consent for adults lacking capacity.
Project status: Completed
Managing Care for Adults During Clinical Uncertainty in Community Hospitals
Development and feasibility evaluation of a new Symptom & Psychosocial Assessment & Communication Evaluation (SPACE) tool.
Project status: Ongoing
News
Academic promotions in Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
Eight academics in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care have been awarded promotions during the 2022-23 year.
Professor Eduardo Bruera awarded Fellowship of King's College
Professor Eduardo Bruera MD FAAHPM has been awarded a Fellowship of King’s in recognition of his exceptional contribution to King’s
Nursing at King's ranked #2 in the world for fifth year in a row
According to global higher education analysts QS in their latest World University Rankings by Subject.
King's welcomes The Princess Royal to campus
The Cicely Saunders Institute (CSI) at King’s, Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care (NMPC) welcomed Her Royal Highness The...
Patient survey reveals preference and economic cost of breathlessness services
A new study has examined patient preferences for breathlessness services and determined the cost savings of these provisions for the NHS.
Breathlessness treatments do reduce patient distress
According to new research from the Cicely Saunders Institute.
Less deprived areas saw biggest increase in deaths at home during pandemic
Deaths at home increased the most in the least deprived areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research has found.
Quicker palliative care referrals needed to support severely ill COVID patients
Severe breathlessness in COVID patients with co-morbidities should be used as a signal for quicker referral for palliative care to help manage their symptoms...
Matthew Maddocks promoted to Professor Health Services Research & Rehabilitation
Matthew Maddocks, a Reader in Health Services Research, and a world-leading researcher on the intersections between rehabilitation and palliative care has...
New Professor of Palliative Care & Child Health
Lorna Fraser, a world-leading researcher in child health and palliative care, has been appointed Professor of Palliative Care & Child Health at King's College...
Events
Perseverance Trust Nightingale Fellowship Lecture 2022
This annual online lecture features talks from our staff, students and Nightingale Fellowship Award winners.
Please note: this event has passed.
Cicely Saunders International Annual Lecture 2020
Palliative care in an era of COVID-19: Perspectives from three continents
Please note: this event has passed.
Spotlight
Transforming the management of breathlessness in advanced illness
The drug-free support helping people cope with breathlessness