International expert in dementia care comes to Bradford
The University of Bradford is welcoming Professor Steven H. Zarit, a world-renowned clinical academic on family carers and how their role influences those living with dementia.
Professor Zarit has conducted pioneering research on family carers and most recently the role of adult day care in lowering stress and improving health in family carers of people with dementia.
He is Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the Pennsylvania State University and holds the position of Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Gerontology, Jönköping University, Sweden.
Professor Zarit will be taking part in a ‘meet and greet’ session with staff and students on Wednesday 4 December and will be leading a PhD masterclass on using qualitative research to design interventions on the Thursday.
Murna Downs, Professor in Dementia Studies said: “We are delighted to have such a distinguished internationally recognised academic advising our students and faculty on impactful applied dementia research.”
Dr Catherine Quinn, Lecturer in Dementia studies said: “In our Masters in Advanced Dementia Studies I teach a module on post-diagnostic support, so having a world leading expert on carers visiting Bradford is a great way of enriching our students’ learning experience.”
The Bradford Doctoral Training Centre (DTC), at the Centre of Applied Dementia Studies, is one of eight specialist doctoral training centres around the country that are funded by the Alzheimer’s Society as part of its investment in future research leaders. Doctoral studies at Bradford focus on improving care, health and wellbeing at points of transition for people affected by dementia.
The Centre aims to build research capacity in dementia, creating the future leaders that dementia research needs. The Centre further enhances the University’s international reputation for applied person-centred dementia care and services research. The research being conducted by the seven DTC PhD students will develop new ways to support people with dementia and their families and improve the quality of dementia care at times of transition.
At the Bradford DTC each PhD student is paired with an international expert. Professor Zarit has been paired with Akhlak Rauf.
Akhlak worked for many years in a Local Authority to support people with Dementia and their carers and has being awarded an MBE for this work. His PhD project aims to develop an understanding of how South Asian families cope with transitions in the dementia-related needs of a relative with dementia.
The Centre of Applied Dementia Studies has a long legacy of dementia research, education and training. Find out more about the Masters in Advanced Dementia Studies.