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Dr Lesley Williamson BSc(Hons), MBChB, MSc, MRCPsych, PhD
Research Associate
Research interests
- Palliative care
Pronouns
she/her
Biography
Dr Lesley Williamson, BSc(Hons), MBChB, MSc, MRCPsych, PhD, is a Research Associate focusing on dementia and end-of-life care. She joined the NIHR Health & Social Care Workforce Research Unit in November 2023 and continues to work at the Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, after joining in 2019 to complete her PhD. Lesley's mixed-methods PhD looked at emergency department attendance among people with dementia approaching the end of life.
Lesley has a keen interest in healthcare policy and service delivery, building on knowledge from her clinical leadership master's degree (2018) and experience as a National Medical Director's Clinical Fellow (2015/16) and King's Parliamentary Research Intern (2021/22). Since 2020, she has been co-lead for the Service Development and Policy module for the Palliative Care MSc.
Lesley is an active member of the Cicely Saunders Institute's Reach & Impact Group, Education Group, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Group. She is also a member of the Faculty's Impact Advisory Group.
By background, Lesley is a psychology graduate (2004) and medical doctor with membership to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2019). She was nominated for and won the national Core Psychiatry Trainee of the Year Award 2019 from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Teaching
- Module co-lead: Service Development and Policy module (Palliative Care MSc)
- Supervision: Postgraduate student dissertations (Palliative Care MSc)
- Personal tutor: Postgraduate students (Palliative Care MSc)
- Session teaching: Research Methods & Statistics, and Service Development & Policy modules (Palliative Care MSc)
Research
![Community_Motifs_Community_p_p_ health_RGB](/newimages/research/thumb/community-motifs-community-p-p-health-rgb.x1cce91a4.jpg?w=780&h=551&crop=780,440,0,56&width=380&height=215&fit=crop&f=webp)
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London: Social Care Theme
Researchers at HSCWRU are working on the Social Care theme as part of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London.
![hospital emergency room uk elderly man wheelchair csi project 780x450](/newimages/cicelysaunders/main-article/research-projects/hospital-emergency-room-uk-elderly-man-wheelchair-csi-project-780x450.xeaa38318.png?crop=780,440,0,5&width=380&height=215&fit=crop&f=webp)
Understanding Why People With Dementia Attend the Emergency Department Towards the End of Life
A mixed-methods study examining the determinants of emergency department attendance by people with dementia towards the end of life.
Project status: Completed
News
Learning from the King's Parliamentary Research Internship
As part of her experience, Dr Lesley Williamson developed a policy brief on palliative and end-of-life care for people with dementia
![dementia-ark-780-440](/newimages/folsm/main-article/dementia-ark-780-440.x712aa90c.png?f=webp)
Developing research proposals
Olivia Luijnenburg's team project for a virtual reality learning platform wins seed funding
![Boy wearing a virtual reality headset with hands outstretched](/newimages/sspp/ahscwru/news/2024/virtual-reality-780.xa232ed4a.jpg?f=webp)
Poor access to care driving people with dementia to A&E
Hospital emergency departments have become a last resort for people diagnosed with dementia, as the condition is often not recognised as a life-limiting...
![Man in black jacket wearing eyeglasses](/newimages/cicelysaunders/man-in-black-jacket-wearing-eyeglasses.x26e571a6.png?f=webp)
Four ways to improve end-of-life care for people with dementia
Efforts to improve the quality of end-of-life care for people with dementia are urgently needed.
![woman caring for older man](/newimages/nmpc/main-article/woman-caring-for-older-man.x9708281d.jpg?w=780&h=519&crop=780,440,0,40&f=webp)
Spotlight
Getting palliative care to those who need it
The research helping introduce high quality, cost-effective palliative care into the health systems where people need it.
![cape-town-market-1920x1080](/newimages/nmpc/spotlight/cape-town-market-1920x1080.x8c56bb6d.jpg?f=webp)
Research
![Community_Motifs_Community_p_p_ health_RGB](/newimages/research/thumb/community-motifs-community-p-p-health-rgb.x1cce91a4.jpg?w=780&h=551&crop=780,440,0,56&width=380&height=215&fit=crop&f=webp)
NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London: Social Care Theme
Researchers at HSCWRU are working on the Social Care theme as part of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London.
![hospital emergency room uk elderly man wheelchair csi project 780x450](/newimages/cicelysaunders/main-article/research-projects/hospital-emergency-room-uk-elderly-man-wheelchair-csi-project-780x450.xeaa38318.png?crop=780,440,0,5&width=380&height=215&fit=crop&f=webp)
Understanding Why People With Dementia Attend the Emergency Department Towards the End of Life
A mixed-methods study examining the determinants of emergency department attendance by people with dementia towards the end of life.
Project status: Completed
News
Learning from the King's Parliamentary Research Internship
As part of her experience, Dr Lesley Williamson developed a policy brief on palliative and end-of-life care for people with dementia
![dementia-ark-780-440](/newimages/folsm/main-article/dementia-ark-780-440.x712aa90c.png?f=webp)
Developing research proposals
Olivia Luijnenburg's team project for a virtual reality learning platform wins seed funding
![Boy wearing a virtual reality headset with hands outstretched](/newimages/sspp/ahscwru/news/2024/virtual-reality-780.xa232ed4a.jpg?f=webp)
Poor access to care driving people with dementia to A&E
Hospital emergency departments have become a last resort for people diagnosed with dementia, as the condition is often not recognised as a life-limiting...
![Man in black jacket wearing eyeglasses](/newimages/cicelysaunders/man-in-black-jacket-wearing-eyeglasses.x26e571a6.png?f=webp)
Four ways to improve end-of-life care for people with dementia
Efforts to improve the quality of end-of-life care for people with dementia are urgently needed.
![woman caring for older man](/newimages/nmpc/main-article/woman-caring-for-older-man.x9708281d.jpg?w=780&h=519&crop=780,440,0,40&f=webp)
Spotlight
Getting palliative care to those who need it
The research helping introduce high quality, cost-effective palliative care into the health systems where people need it.
![cape-town-market-1920x1080](/newimages/nmpc/spotlight/cape-town-market-1920x1080.x8c56bb6d.jpg?f=webp)