Debbie Cavers

Debbie Cavers is a Lecturer in Social Science Research Methods and Public Health, and a Research Fellow in the Centre for Population Health Sciences at the University of Edinburgh's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Her work focuses on qualitative research across the cancer care continuum, particularly for individuals with comorbid long-term conditions, and she leads studies on lung cancer screening and psychosocial healthcare.

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medicine, University of Edinburgh (2005-2009)
• Master in Science (MSc) in Health Psychology, University of Edinburgh (2001-2002)
• Master of Arts (MA) in Psychology, University of Edinburgh (1996-2000)

Her research explores qualitative dimensions of illness journeys, including cancer screening, survivorship, and end-of-life care, with a focus on comorbidities and healthcare access for vulnerable groups. Recent projects address lung cancer screening implementation, myocardial infarction care for mentally ill patients, and psychosocial support needs in cancer survivors.

Key article trends include:

• Qualitative methods in public health
• Lung cancer screening feasibility
• Comorbidity in cancer care
• Health disparities
• End-of-life care for poor-prognosis cancers
• Pandemic impacts on research practices

Scientific recognition includes:

• CSO Post-Doctoral Fellowship

She supervises PhD students and teaches Introduction to Qualitative Methods, Qualitative Interviewing, and Data Analysis for Public Health in the Master of Public Health Online program. Collaborations span institutions like the University of Leicester and British Heart Foundation projects.

Debbie co-convenes the CPHS Qualitative Researchers Group and has served on the NCRI Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship clinical studies group and British Psychosocial Oncology Society executive committee. Her work integrates qualitative insights with data linkage approaches to improve healthcare pathways.