معرفی
Dr. Tracy Collins serves as Professional Lead for Occupational Therapy and Programme Lead for the MSc (Pre-Registration) Occupational Therapy at Northumbria University's Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. A registered Occupational Therapist with UK and US practice experience, she joined Northumbria in 2017 after holding an academic position at the University of Salford. Her research focuses on social wellbeing with particular emphasis on widowhood transitions and loneliness prevention.
- PhD in Sociology, Keele University (2011)
- MA in Sociology, Keele University (2002)
- BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy, Keele University (1996)
- PGCert in Academic Studies in Education (2015)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Collins' research examines the intersection of occupational therapy and social wellbeing through mixed-methods approaches. Her current work investigates military widows' experiences, ambulance service overuse linked to loneliness, and community-based interventions for social isolation. She develops frameworks for supporting older men's social participation and children with HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings, emphasizing practical applications of occupational therapy in community development.
Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal consistent focus on social isolation mechanisms across diverse populations including military widows, frequent ambulance users, and individuals with chronic illnesses. Her work bridges clinical occupational therapy with public health approaches to loneliness prevention, featuring strong methodological diversity with equal emphasis on qualitative exploration and quantitative validation of interventions.
- Editorial Board Member, Journal of Women & Aging
- Academic Editor, Health and Social Care in the Community
Collins secured significant research funding including a £34,977 NIHR grant for investigating loneliness among frequent ambulance callers. Her academic leadership includes developing community Christmas events for older adults with dementia and evaluating social participation frameworks. She actively mentors through the MSc Occupational Therapy program while conducting fieldwork with military widows and isolated older populations.
Based at Coach Lane Campus (Room H215), Collins collaborates with international partners through Northumbria's global network, particularly on projects addressing social isolation in vulnerable populations across multiple cultural contexts.
