Dr E Joanna Alexjuk (PhD)

Lecturer - Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Science

  • University of Edinburgh
  • British Society of Gerontology
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Contact details

Address

Street

Room 1M.8, Doorway 6, Medical Quad, Teviot Place

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9AG

Availability

  • Please note that my working days within HiSS are Tuesday and Thursday.

Biography

Background

I am a Lecturer, Researcher and Writer of educational resource materials with over 25 years’ experience of working within the field of health and dementia care not only within academia, but also within the health, statutory, private and voluntary sectors.

Currently, I specialise in the teaching of courses relating to health management topics and disability at undergraduate level within the Department of Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Science (CPASS), School of Health and Social Science (HiSS). I also supervise students undertaking undergraduate and post graduate dissertations within the department, as well as  on-campus and online  PhD students undertaking health-related topics of research.  In recent years I have been nominated for five teaching awards by the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA), on the Prof Susan Manning award for  Inspiring Mentor and received the Edinburgh Teaching Award (EdTA) and gained Fellowship status of the Higher Education Academy in 2020. I am an active Personal Tutor for  CPASS students, as well as international visiting students who join us each semester. In addition, I currently undertake the role of Coordinator of Adjustments within HiSS to ensure that students living with disabilities  do not experience disadvantages during their learning journey.

Outwith my work within HiSS, I was also External Examiner and Progression and Awards Board Examiner for health-related undergraduate and postgraduate programmes/courses at the University of West Scotland from 2014 - 2018. Since 2014 I have been the Treasurer of the British Society of Gerontology (Scotland).

My research interests predominately relates to grief and loss in dementia care, and my doctoral research entitled: The journey from dementia diagnosis to family bereavement - the fluctuating perceptions of self of family caregivers of people with dementia, was completed in 2018. I am a founding member of the Edinburgh Centre for Research on the Experience of Dementia (ECRED) and whilst undertaking my academic role my research has included the co-authorship of a number of qualitative research articles / reports, as well as being presenting at international conferences. My broader research interests encompass topics relating to compassion and empathy, as well as health management. I also undertake independent consultancy training and project evaluation for UK based organisations such as Dementia UK, Gateshead Local Authority and SEARCH Newcastle. Prior to entering academia I worked for the Alzheimer’s Society (England) as a Project Manager and National Trainer for more than 12 years.

Undergraduate teaching

  • Course organiser: Health Management and Management in Health (MA Health in Social Science Programme)
  • Course organiser: Introduction to Disability Studies (MA Health in Social Science Programme)
  • Dementia related aspects of health 
  • School Co-ordinator of Adjustments for students with disabilities
  • Co-chair of the CPASS Ethics Committee
  • Personal tutor (9 students) 

 

 

Postgraduate teaching

Dissertation supervisor: MSc Counselling and Psychotherapy (5 students)

Dissertation supervisor: MSc in Dementia Experience, Policy and Practice (1 student)

 

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation students, as well as PhD students.

Current PhD students supervised

  • PhD research (5 students)
  • Dissertation supervisor: MSc Counselling and Psychotherapy (5 students)
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Past PhD students supervised

  • MA Health in Social Science (Dissertation students 9)
  • MSc in Dementia Experience, Policy and Practice ( Dissertation students 8)
  • Personal tutor for 20 UG students

Research summary

Research Interests

  • Pedagogical approaches to compassion and empathy in work and life (2021 - todate)
  • Pedagogical approaches to teaching about empathy in practice (2018)
  • Healthbridge Project - an evaluation of part of the National Dementia Strategy for England (2010 - 2012)

Funding:

  • Principal Teaching Award - University of Edinburgh cross college award relating to empathy in practice for students within dementia studies / nursing / veterninary (2018)
  • Small grant secured from the Department of Health to evaluate the "Remember Me Dementia Care" training pack, authored by myself (Northumbria University, 2007)
  • Northern Rock Foundation grant to cover all overhead costs for rolling programme of befiending services for people with dementia and their carers. (2004-2007)

Research activity

I have a wealth of experience in the dementia field, not only as a dementia care practitioner, but also as a course tutor on the MSc in Dementia Studies at the University of Stirling and more recently as a part time doctoral student.

My PhD research relates to exploring the emotive aspects of anticipatory grief, loss and bereavement experienced by carers of people with dementia throughout their 'journey' of care.

  • Research Associate: Give and Take: Information use and Self-Management in Dementia Care project atNrthumbria University, part of NHS NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme. (May 2010 to Feb 2011)
  • National Trainer: Alzheimer's Society, england (2003-2009)
  • Committee member: North Tyneside Palliative Care Working Group. (2006-2008)
  • Project Coordinator: Alzheimer's Society, North Tyneshide Branch, England. (1997-2006)
  • Branch Trustee (Voluntary capacity) - Cruse Bereavement Care, Tyneside. (1997-2006)

Current research interests

Pedagogical approaches to compassion and empathy in work and life Theoretical approaches to disability and health Grief and loss in dementia care

Past research interests

Online informal dementia adviser/friend and co-writer of person-centred dementia care information and training material.  Alzheimer's Association Iran (2007 - to date). Online informal dementia adviser and supporter of the Goan branch of the Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India (2003 - to date). Informal adviser of mental health programmes relating to elders, women and children within the Indian administrative state of Kashmir.  Human Effort for Love and Peace Kashmir, India (2003 - to date)

Affiliated research centres

View all 5 publications on Research Explorer

Invited speaker

  • University of Ostrava (Czech Republic, 2019)
  • Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society (Kolkata, 2018)
  • Dementia  Network (Sweden, 2018)
  • International Carers Conference (Gothenberg, 2017)Goan Medical College (India, 2015)

Organiser

Dementia: Experience and Health in the UK (British Society of Gerontology, Scotland, 2016) 

Papers delivered

  • University of Ostrava (Czech Republic, 2019) - Grief, loss and bereavement in dementia care
  • Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society (Kolkata, 2018) - dementia, a Scottish perspective
  • Dementia  Network (Sweden, 2018) - The fluctuating perceptions of self of family carers of people living with dementia
  • International Carers Conference (Gothenberg, 2017)Goan Medical College (India, 2015) The journey from dementia diagnosis to final bereavment of family carers of people living with dementia
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