Dr Lisa Jane Brighton

Department of Psychology, King’s College London

Mentor: Dr Joe Chilcot & Prof Matthew Maddocks

Project title: Understanding and addressing loneliness in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Within her post-doctoral fellowship Lisa aims to use her PhD findings as a bridge to a new, essential programme of work around loneliness and the wider psychosocial health of people with COPD. Lisa recently completed her PhD in Health Services Research, developing and testing a new approach to supporting people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and frailty. Throughout this research psychosocial concerns, particularly related to loneliness and social isolation, were commonly raised by both research participants and service user collaborators. Psychosocial support for people living and dying with respiratory disease is an important clinical priority, yet there is still a lack of research in this area. Developing the skills, knowledge, and networks to progress high-quality research at the interface of psychological science and respiratory health is therefore essential.