معرفی
Lisa O'Leary is a Lecturer at the School of Health and Social Care at Edinburgh Napier University. Her research focuses on health and wellbeing for people with intellectual disabilities, particularly in areas of respiratory health management and self-management strategies. She has been actively involved in developing continuing professional development toolkits for nursing students and healthcare professionals, with recent projects funded by The Baily Thomas Charitable Trust and the Burdett Trust for Nursing.
Dr. O'Leary holds a PhD, ILM (Institute of Leadership & Management certification), FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy), PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education), and MA (Hons) and BA (Hons) degrees. Her educational background reflects a strong foundation in both academic research and professional teaching practice.
Dr. O'Leary's research spans intellectual disabilities, health management, nursing education, and public health. She has led systematic reviews on early death causes among people with intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome, developed health promotion interventions like the adapted 'Health Matters Program', and explored organizational barriers to healthy lifestyle behaviors for people with intellectual disabilities. Her work often involves co-creation with stakeholders to develop practical tools and strategies that improve healthcare outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Her recent publications show a strong focus on co-creation of professional development toolkits for healthcare providers working with people with intellectual disabilities, particularly around respiratory health management. She has also made significant contributions to understanding self-management strategies, adaptations of cognitive behavioral therapy for autistic adults, and health outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities. Her research methodology frequently employs systematic reviews, mixed-methods approaches, and participatory research techniques.
While specific awards aren't prominently listed, Dr. O'Leary holds several professional certifications including FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy), indicating recognition of her teaching excellence. Her professional credentials (PhD, ILM, PGCE) also reflect her commitment to academic and professional development.
- Dr. O'Leary has supervised multiple doctoral students including Louise Allan (exploring self-management strategies for people with intellectual disabilities who have asthma), Chloe Kennedy (developing frameworks for adapted CBT with autistic adults), Mengxue Xia (cross-cultural exploration of cancer caregiving), and Lewis Clarke (HPV vaccine attitudes among Scottish men).
- She has secured significant research funding, including £89,970 from The Baily Thomas Charitable Trust for a project on swallowing management for people with intellectual disabilities (2025-2026) and £68,270 from the Burdett Trust for Nursing for developing a Continuing Professional Development Toolkit for pre-registration nursing students (2024-2025).
Dr. O'Leary is actively involved with the Centre for Mental Health Practice, Policy and Law Research at Edinburgh Napier University. She collaborates extensively with researchers including Daniel Dicksit, Nicola Ring, Nicola Jane Roberts, and Margaret Dunham on projects related to intellectual disabilities and healthcare. Her recent work demonstrates a strong team-based approach to addressing complex healthcare challenges for people with intellectual disabilities.
