Flavia Swan

Dr. Flavia Swan is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Hull York Medical School, University of Hull. She holds a PhD from the Hull York Medical School and specializes in non-pharmacological interventions for chronic breathlessness and cancer rehabilitation, particularly in older adults. Her work focuses on the use of handheld fans to manage breathlessness and the development of tailored wellbeing interventions for lung cancer patients.

Education:

• PhD, Hull York Medical School

Research Interests: Dr. Swan’s research emphasizes non-pharmacological strategies for breathlessness relief, including the optimization of handheld fan therapy, and the adaptation of physical activity and nutrition programs for older cancer patients. Her work bridges clinical practice and healthcare innovation, addressing implementation challenges in palliative and respiratory care settings.

Grants & Projects:

• Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research for the CanBenefit II project (tailored wellbeing intervention for lung cancer)
• National Institute for Health Research grants for studies on breathlessness management in pulmonary fibrosis (BREEZE-IPF) and smartphone-based rehabilitation for cancer survivors

Advising & Collaboration: She supervises postgraduate and undergraduate students on projects related to fan therapy implementation, breathlessness interventions, and scoping reviews of non-medical devices. Key collaborators include the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Group and Hull York Medical School’s INSPIRE programme.

Labs/Teams: Active member of the Wolfson Palliative Care Research Group, focusing on translational research in breathlessness management and palliative care innovations.