معرفی
Heather Iles-Smith is a Professor of Nursing at the University of Salford and holds a joint appointment with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA). She serves as Director of the NCA Centre for Clinical and Care Research, focusing on enhancing research capacity within nursing, midwifery, and allied health professions. Her academic role includes co-leading the 'Research across the Life Course' theme at the Centre for Applied Health and Care Research within the School of Health and Society.
Research Interests: Heather’s work spans applied health research, particularly in long-term conditions, psychological wellbeing, and digital health interventions. She employs mixed-methods and qualitative approaches to address clinical challenges such as urinary incontinence management in older women and fundamental nursing care during pandemics. Her recent projects include the U-INconti study on urinary incontinence outcomes and the iWorkSmart initiative exploring NHS staff use of smart devices in healthcare settings.
Leadership & Grants: Heather chairs the NIHR Nursing and Midwifery Incubator and holds national roles in the Royal College of Nursing and the Council of Deans for Health. She leads the 5-year Chair of Adult Social Care Nursing program and has secured funding from organizations like Health Education England, EPSRC, and the NIHR. Current grants include a Burdett Trust project to improve post-menopausal urinary continence care and an EPSRC-funded study on smart device security in healthcare.
Labs/Teams: Her work is affiliated with the Centre for Applied Health Research and collaborates with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust on translational research initiatives. She actively mentors early-career researchers through NIHR and HEE programs, fostering clinical academic pathways for allied health professionals.
