Dr E Joanna Alexjuk (PhD, SFHEA, MSc, BA (Hons)

Thesis title: The Journey from Dementia Diagnosis to Final Bereavement: an Exploration of the Fluctuating Perceptions of Self of Family Carers of People with Dementia

  • University of Edinburgh
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • British Society of Gerontology (BSG Scotland - Chair/Co-ordinator)

Contact details

Address

Street

Dept. of Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Science, Located in: Room 2.09, 24 Buccleuch Place, c/o School of Health in Social Science,
Doorway 6, Elsie Inglis Quad, Teviot Place, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 9AG

Availability

  • As from September 2024 I am a full time member of staff, but please contact me via email in the first instance.

Biography

Background

I am a multi-skilled Lecturer and Researcher within the School of Health in Social Science (HiSS), possessing a proven track record of experience over an 14-year period in academic teaching and curriculum development at UoE, and associated practice-based research. During which I have sought to enhance the pedagogical experience of students from within and out-with HiSS at UoE. In doing so, demonstrating a commitment to and encouragement of excellence in the teaching of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PGR) students. My teaching role has predominately encompassed the initial development and facilitation of new programmes/courses at both student levels of learning. Including online and face-to-face teaching formats, as well as the supervision of  MA, MSc and PhD students.

Having transferred my PhD studies from Northumbria University, where I also held the position of Research Fellow responsible for the day-to-day management of the Healthbridge Project - An Evaluation of Part of the National Dementia Strategy for England (2009-2016), I continued to work on the project as a Researcher at UoE from 2011-2014. I then commenced my permanent lecturing contract within HiSS in 2014 and completed my PhD studies part-time at UoE in 2018.

Whilst teaching, I continue to develop my research with colleagues, which subsequently enabled me to include content in my teaching practice.  For example: expert opinion and contribution to a book chapter, as well as peer reviewed academic publications relating to studies addressing: dementia; empathy and compassion. 

Prior to entering academia I worked within the voluntary sector (Alzheimer's Society, England) and continued to undertaken consultancy and training facilitation within the health, statutory and voluntary sectors.   My foundational interests relate to health management, dementia care experience, policy and practice. As such I am a founding member of the Edinburgh Centre for Research on the Experience of Dementia (ECRED)  My broader pedagogical and research interests encompass topics relating gerontology, dementia, disability, compassion and empathy in work and practice. 

I have also previously undertake independent consultancy roles relating to training and project evaluation for UK based voluntary and public sector organisations such as Dementia UK, SEARCH Newcastle and Gateshead Local Authority, Prior to entering academia I worked for the Alzheimer’s Society (England) as a Project Manager and National Trainer for more than 11 years (1997 - 2008) and Chair and Committee member of Cruse Bereavement Care (Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside,1997 - 2006)

CV

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Qualifications

  • PhD - University of Edinburgh (UoE). Thesis entitled: The Journey from Dementia Diagnosis to Final Bereavement: An Exploration of the Fluctuating Perceptions of Self of Family Carers of People with Dementia (2018)
  • MSc in Dementia Studies (distinction): University of Stirling: (2003 – 2007 part time) (Distinction)
  • BA Combined Arts (Hons) Politics and Psychology (2:1):  University of Sunderland (1993)

Additional qualifications: 

  • NVQ Level IV Volunteer Management:  Project North East (2007)
  • Training for Trainers’ Course:  Alzheimer’s Society / Dementia Care Matter (2004)
  • NVQ Level IV Business Management:  Morgan Burns Assoc. Ltd.  (1997)
  • NVQ Level III Bereavement Awareness and Counselling Skills: NCFE (1997)
  • NVQ Level III Information Technology:  Morgan Burns Assoc. Ltd. (1997)
  • RSA Counselling Skills in the Development of Learning: Gateshead College (1991)

Awards and UoE Nominations: 

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2024). Gaining Fellowship HEA status (2020)
  • Nominated by UoE Edinburgh Students Union Association [8 in total from 2018-2025]: Best Personal Tutor (1); Best Dissertation Supervisor (1); Best Course Tutor (2) and Teacher of the Year (3); Outstanding Course (1).
  • UoE College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science [3 in total from 2022-2023]: The Susan Manning Award for Inspiring Mentor (1); Excellence in Leadership )1); Exceptional Team (1).  

Responsibilities & affiliations

  • Founding member of the UoE cross-college Disable.ED Network (2024-to date)
  • HiSS Co-ordinator of Adjustments (2020 to date)
  • Founding member of the cross-college Disable.ED Network (2024-to date)
  • Co-Developer and Facilitator: 2 International/online Leadership Seminars: Nursing (2023 and 2024)
  • Co-Developer and Facilitator: online event for UoE students: Supporting and Promoting Lifelong Wellbeing for Students Carers event (2023)
  • Member of the HiSS: Athena Swan Parent/Carer working group (2023-to date)
  • Member of: Edinburgh Centre for Research on the Experience of Dementia   

Undergraduate teaching

Depute and Academic Cohort Leader: MA Health in Social Science programme (2023-2025)

Developer and Course Organiser/Co-organiser: of 3 courses associated with the MA programme portfolio and teaching on various additional MA courses, as well as one BN undergraduate nursing course:

  1. Health Management and Management of Health (2021-2024)
  2. Introduction to Disability Studies (2022-2025)
  3. Counselling and Psychotherapy: Principles and Practices (2023- 2025) [Co-organiser]
  4. What is Health? Society, Culture and Health (Lecturer (2019- 2024) BN programme course.

Examiner Board Convenor: MA Health in Social Science programme (2022-2023)

MA Dissertation Supervisor: 6 year 4 students (2018-2025)

Visiting Lecturer at:

  • Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Austria (2020 online, COVID-19 restriction)
  • University of Ostrava, Czech Republic (2019, in-person)  

Former Programme Director: online/part time MSc Dementia: International Experience, Policy and     Practice Programme ( 2016-2018) 

Postgraduate teaching

Doctoral Supervisor: Students (CPASS) 8 part- and full-time formats of study from 2018 – to date]

MSc Dissertation Supervisor: 25 Students (2018-2025)

PhD Supervisor: 8 part- and full-time formats of study from 2018 - to date

Critical Friend: (CPASS) 7 PhD students (2022-to date)

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

No

Current PhD students supervised

PhD Research (8 students)

  • Agnieszka Butter -  An investigation of investigate the current evidence base whether aromatherapy intervention is an effective therapy in reducing the associated stress symptoms such as pre loss grief of informal caregivers of dementia patients. 
  • Eavan Sinden - Exploring therapy “around the edges” in aphasia intervention: Examining how Speech-Language Pathologists address counselling moments with people with aphasia in typical aphasia therapy
  • Ji Won Kang - Perinatal Loss: How South Korean Mothers and Fathers Navigate Perinatal Bereavement
  • Kunhyo Jee - A study of the Long-term Care Service Policies of South Korea: Health Status and Quality of Life of the Elderly 
  • Nour Alrasheed - Attachment to God and Islamic Spirituality: An investigation of Kuwaiti Muslims’ Attachment to God and their Resilience to Suffering
  • Sarah Walters - Empowering Research Ambassadors to Promote Participation of Under-Served Communities in Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials
  • Valeria Lembo - The art of caring. An online ethnography of art and leisure activities with and by people affected by dementia in Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Vennus Ho - ARTŠ-pirit : An arts-based autoethnographic inquiry into the spirituality of family caregivers in Hong Kong in the wake of loss 

Past PhD students supervised

  • MA Health in Social Science (Dissertation students 15)
  • MSc in Dementia Experience, Policy and Practice ( Dissertation students 8)

Research summary

Research Interests Relate to Teaching

  1. UoE: Part of the research project team commissioned and funded by Cruse Bereavement Scotland (£30,000) entitled: Journeys of Grief: Understanding how people experience grief and how they navigate their loss (January 2024 ongoing). 
  2. UoE: Team developer and researcher of a cross-college study funded by the UoE Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme (PTAS) [£17,000] entitled:  Embedding Accessibility into Higher Education Courses and Programme (2024 – ongoing.
  3. UoE: A cross-college study funded by PTAS [£4,500] relating to the development and piloting of an innovative online self-directed, non-credit bearing and non-fee related course entitled: Compassion and Empathy in Work and Life (C&E) for 19 ‘participants’ (for both UoE students and staff). Facilitated during the COVID-19 period. Subsequently, uploaded to SharePoint: Compassion and Empathy in Work and Life - Home for further access for teaching and self-development for students and staff. My role included the day-today management of the overall project, as well as offering mentoring support for the Project Research Assistant (January 2020-March 2022).
  4.  UoE: A cross-college study funded by PTAS [£4,000] entitled: Factors Influencing the Understanding and Development of Human Empathy and explored the feasibility of the pedagogical inclusion of empathy as part of the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum for health care workers within the disciplines of Veterinary, Nursing and Dementia Studies (January 2014-September 2016) 

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

Healthbridge Project - an evaluation of part of the National Dementia Strategy for England (2010 - 2012)

Affiliated research centres

Conference details

  • Dementia Policy and Practice: Alzheimer’s and Related Disorder Society of India, Kolkata, (2017)
  • International Carers Conference, (Gothenburg, 2017)
  • Teaching About Empathy in Practice. HEA Liverpool (July 2017)
  • PhD research (oral presentation): Linköping University, Norrköping, (September 2016)
  • PhD research (oral presentation) The 6th International Carers Conference, Gothenburg (September 2015)
  • Keynote Dementia Friendly Communities: Goa Medical College, Goa University, India (March 2015)
  • PhD research The British Society of Gerontology, Newcastle (July 2015)
  • Innovations in Online Reflexive Practice: Linking Theory with Technique within the Virtual Learning Environment (presentation): Online Learning Network, UoE  (July 2014)
  • Innovations in Online Reflexive Practice: Linking Theory with Technique within the Virtual Learning Environment  (oral and poster presentation): Higher Education Academy, Birmingham (June 2014)

Invited speaker

  • Keynote - University of Edinburgh Transnational online symposium – Nursing Leadership  (2023)
  • Keynote - University of Applied Social Science, Fachbereich Soziales und Gesundheit, Austria (May 2020)
  • Keynote - University of Ostrava, Czech. Republic (December 2019)
  • Keynote - Dementia Friendly Communities, Chang Gung University and Taiwanese Minister for Health, Taiwan (October 2014)

Organiser

  • Seminar Co-Organiser and Chair: Students with Caring Responsibilities (online UoE, 2023)
  • Seminar Co-Organiser: Are we ready to integrate health and social care? Glasgow Caledonian University (British Society of Gerontology, Scotland, 2017)
  • Seminar Co-Organiser: Living with dementia: evidence from research and implications for policy. Edinburgh University (British Society of Gerontology, Scotland, 2016)
  • Seminar Co-Organiser: Marginalisation in later life University of West of Scotland (British Society of Gerontology, Scotland, 2014)

Papers delivered

  • Compassion and Empathy in Work and Life Project: UoE Learning and Teaching conference (2023)
  • Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society (Kolkata, 2018) - Dementia, a Scottish perspective
  • Dementia  Network (Sweden, 2018) - The journey from dementia diagnosis to final bereavement: The fluctuating perceptions of self of family carers of people living with dementia
  • International Carers Conference (Gothenburg, 2017)
  • Goa Medical College (India, 2015) The journey from dementia diagnosis to final bereavment of family carers of people living with dementia
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