Emma is part of the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre and supports research related to dementia.
Emma Wolverson is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Ageing and Dementia within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Hull. She is Research Lead for Dementia UK.. Emma’s research programme responds to the urgent need to improve post-diagnostic support for people with dementia and their families. Emma is particularly interested in times when people and families need greater support, such as during a mental health crisis or as a person reaches the end of their life.
Emma has over 17 years’ experience of working in the NHS with people living with dementia and uses her clinical experience to guide evidence based practice and to deliver research that explores issues that matter for people with dementia, their families and healthcare professionals.
As a clinical academic, Emma’s body of work is focused on delivering clinical innovation and seeks to bring meaningful changes to current practices. Emma’s research programme responds to the urgent need to improve post-diagnostic support for people with dementia and their families. Emma is particularly interested in times when people and families need greater support, such as during a mental health crisis or as a person reaches the end of their life.
Emma is a co-investigator on a number of NIHR funded studies within mental health services, social care and community settings. Her research portfolio includes studies examining:
• The mental health care needs of people with dementia and their families
• The provision of psychosocial interventions to improve wellbeing and enhance enjoyment for people with dementia and their families
• The application of positive psychology interventions and outcome measures to dementia care
Her projects employ a wide range of research methodologies and Emma has particular skills in stakeholder engagement and qualitative research methods. A key focus of Emma’s research is to empower people with dementia in their carers to become partners in research and she is Chair of two patient and public involvement groups for people with dementia and their carers.
MSc Dementia
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Current funded research projects:
2022-2024 - Post-Diagnostic Dementia Support within the ReCOVERY College Model: A Realist Evaluation (DiSCOVERY). NIHR HSDR.
Role: Stakeholder collaboration and qualitative research expertise, co-lead work package on the development and delivery of a national online survey.
2022-2024 - The Cognitive Daisy (COG-D) for improving care of residents with dementia in care homes: A feasibility RCT. NIHR RfPB.
Role: Co-ordinate and lead patient and public involvement.
2021-2023- Implementation of evidence-based cost-effective training for care home staff to improve wellbeing and mental health for care home residents with dementia and reduce unnecessary sedative medications: WHELD into Practice. NIHR-ARC (Healthy Ageing, Dementia & Frailty).
Role: lead recruitment of care homes in Yorkshire and Humber and support dissemination.
2019-2023 “Let’s have fun learning from each other”: Empowering people living with dementia to take the lead through person-led, creative engagement. The Ideas Fund (Wellcome/British Sciences Association).
Role: co-lead and support the evaluation of the project.
PhD / DClinPysch students supervised to completion (all from the University of Hull)
Chapman, D. (2011). Hope and Stigma in Early Dementia. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Harris, Y. (2012). An exploration of illness representations in older age. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Marklew, H. (2013). An exploration of the motherhood decision. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Patterson, K. (2014). Positive experiences whilst living with dementia: A qualitative exploration of growth in older adults. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Irwin, H. (2014). Exploring the shared experience of humour in people living with dementia and their partners. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Vince, A, (2014). An exploration into psychiatrists understanding of what it means to live well with dementia, and experiences of engaging in discussions about positive wellbeing when sharing a diagnosis. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Dearden, R. (2014). Defining an authentic patient-neurosurgeon relationship within the awake craniotomy context: A qualitative study. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Cowell, C. (2016). An exploration of the impact of the care home transition on love in dementia relationships. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Heap, C. (2016). Intensive Interaction in severe dementia: Making meaning with staff caregivers. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Buggins, S. (2016). Resilience in older adults with a diagnosis of dementia. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Smithson-Evans, F. (2016). Illness perceptions and quality of life in brain tumors: Does diagnostic communication have an impact? Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Pearson, M. (2017) The experience of gratitude in dementia: A pilot study of a gratitude intervention Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Bartels, L. (2017) The role of hope in sustaining caregiving in dementia. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Conway, L (2018) Resilience in people with dementia and their caregivers. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Adams, J. (2018) Mindfulness and Meditation Interventions in Dementia: Experiences, Adaptations and Effects on Well-being. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Sweeny, L. (2019) Shared experiences of making digital life stories in dementia dyads. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Lowe, S. (2021). Dark Humour in dementia. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Amponsem, S. (2022). The Meaning and Experience of Hope for people living with dementia as experienced through poetry. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Current students:
Wood, C. (due for completion 2024). Dementia, Death and Dying: Can a death café approach help with future care planning conversations. PhD Health Care Studies.
Dunn, R. (due for completion 2023). “She’s my memory; he’s my legs!” An interpretive phenomenological exploration of couples’ experiences living with dementia and multiple health conditions. PhD Health Care Studies.
Walton, J. (due for completion 2022). Enhancing Experiences of Hope in Caregivers of People Living with Dementia. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Baggaley, J. (due for completion 2023). Measuring Self-Compassion in People Living with Dementia. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Jackman, V. (due for completion in 2023). Co-design of a Positive Psychology Intervention for People with Dementia. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Research Lead for Dementia UK
Member of the multi-disciplinary international research group INTERDEM
Peer reviewer for the World Health Organizations Global Dementia Observatory Knowledge Exchange Platform and a Clinical Policy.
Clinical Policy Advisor ARUK
Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Quality Network for Older Adults Mental Health Services.
2018, Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Research Leaders award for Outstanding Early Career Contribution to Dementia Research.