Professor Andrew Clark
Name:
Professor Andrew Clark
Place of work / study:
The University of Greenwich
Area of Research:
Sociology
How is your work funded:
My recent work has been funded by the ESRC and NIHR.
Tell us a little about yourself:
I joined the University of Greenwich in October 2023 as a Professor in the Institute for Lifecourse Development. Previously I worked in the Directorate of Social Sciences at the University of Salford and I have a PhD in human geography from the University of St Andrews. I am a a social scientist with an interested in the development of creative and innovative methods to better understand everyday life in neighbourhood and community settings. Much of my work focuses on the experiences of older people and people living with dementia. Recent research and engagement work include:
- Living with dementia in neighbourhood [1] and community settings
- The impact of Covid-19 on the lives of older people
- Developing age-friendly and dementia friendly communities
- Understanding fire risk
- Care home environments
- Developing creative methods to better understand and reflect everyday life
- Working in participative ways in research
- Evaluations of support services for older people and people living with dementia
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I once had a job selling ice cream at my town pantomime.
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
I have always been interested in neighbourhoods, the relationships people develop with those who live and work in them, and the stories people tell about where they live or used to live. Ten years ago a colleague asked if I was interested in collaborating to do this sort of work with people living with dementia. We were fortunate to get some research funding and research about neighbourhoods and dementia has remained a focus since. I have also become involved in a range of other projects and activities involving people living with dementia. For the past few years have been part of the Salford Institute for Dementia where I have the privilege of working alongside people with experiences of life with dementia to develop research and engagement activities.