Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Dr Laura Ashley
Professor
Laura is a Reader in Health Psychology in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Leeds Beckett University. Her research aims to improve cancer services, care, and outcomes, particularly for people living with other health conditions such as dementia, diabetes, or cystic fibrosis. She works with NHS and charity stakeholders to use the findings of her research for patient and public benefit.
Prior to joining Leeds Beckett in 2013 as a Senior Lecturer, Laura worked as a Research Fellow in the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds and at the Bradford Institute for Health Research. She was awarded her PhD in Health Psychology from the University of Leeds in 2009, and before this a BSc (Hons) Psychology degree from the University of Leeds in 2004.
Laura is currently an expert member of a 3-year Thinking Group coordinated by NHS England Cancer Experience of Care Improvement Collaborative, which aims to improve cancer care experiences for people with pre-existing long-term conditions (e.g., mental illnesses, dementia), autism, and learning disabilities. She is a past Chair of the British Psychosocial Oncology Society (BPOS) and has also been a member of committees within the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS), National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) and British Psychological Society (BPS).
Laura is an editorial board member for the journal Psychology and Health, and previously the journal Psycho-Oncology.
Current Teaching
Laura is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and teaches on the BSc Psychology and MSc Psychology (Conversion award) courses. She has previously been Module Leader for the Final Year Project (research dissertation) on the BSc Psychology course, and Leader for the Psychological Research & Analysis, Psychological Research & Statistics, and Dissertation modules on the MSc Psychology (Conversion award) course.
Laura supervises postgraduate research students (PhD, MRes, D.Clin.Psychol) and is currently supervising:
- Rebecca Spencer: Understanding and addressing diabetes-related barriers to cancer screening participation in women with type 2 diabetes (Leeds Beckett University, lead supervisor)
- Rebecca Platt: Optimising acute oncology services for people with dementia (Leeds Beckett University, lead supervisor)
- Elizabeth Travis: Barriers and facilitators to colorectal cancer screening (University of Leeds, co-supervisor)
Research Interests
Laura’s research uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and focuses on:
- Understanding psychosocial and behavioural cancer risk factors and impacts
- Developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to improve care and patient-centred outcomes across the cancer trajectory
- Targeting interventions to address multimorbidity-related disparities and inequalities in cancer incidence, care and outcomes
Laura currently leads several psychosocial and health services research projects which aim to optimise cancer care and outcomes in the context of multimorbidity, particularly for people living with dementia and their families, and for people with diabetes. Her work focuses across the cancer trajectory, including cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care.
Laura has been a Principal Investigator or co-investigator on research grants funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Macmillan Cancer Support, Alzheimer’s Society, Abbeyfield Research Foundation, North West Cancer Research, and Abbott (diabetes care).
Key interests:
- Cancer
- Multimorbidity
- Health services
- Interprofessional collaborative care
- Patient-centred care and outcomes
- Health behaviours
- Illness perceptions
- Family caregivers
- E-health
