Teresa Atkinson
Name:
Teresa Atkinson
Job title:
Senior Research Fellow
Place of work / study:
Association for Dementia Studies, University of Worcester
Area of Research:
Improving quality of life for people living with dementia and those who support them
How is your work funded
Predominantly through funding research grants
Tell us a little about yourself:
I’ve been a qualitative researcher for 20 years working with people across the lifespan who are living with a neurological disorder. This has taken me to amazing places such as New Zealand and Japan and allowed me the privilege of meeting many wonderful people. I have worked with the Association for Dementia Studies for nine years both as a researcher and an educator. Most recently I have become lead for two of our Post Graduate Certificate modules; one focusing on enabling environments for people living with dementia and the other focusing on supporting family carers.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I’m a mum, a nan and a dog owner – I love all my various roles in life.
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
Having worked with young people with neurological disorders such as autism I can see the similarities in the way they understand the world and the difficulties they encounter. Bringing these skills with me to the world of dementia helps me to understand the perspective of people with different cognitive challenges. I guess I work with people with dementia because I hope what I learn from research projects can help make a difference to peoples’ lives.