Dr James Watson BSc (HONS), MPH, PhD

Personal Statement

I have interests in dementia care, inequities and inequalities in health outcomes, care access and on-going support among people with dementia and unpaid carers, the quality and inequalities in end-of-life and palliative care, and support and experiences of unpaid carers. I have a background of mixed-methods research, using data science methods in quantitative research and being part of research teams conducting qualitative research into participants experiences. I have worked alongside numerous organisations and individuals, including public advisors (people with dementia and unpaid carers), local authority, health and social care, charitable organisations and social enterprises.

I am currently a postdoctoral research associate in Primary Care and Mental Health, involved in projects including: (1) social care needs assessments in dementia; (2) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic access to health and social care in dementia; (3) a systematic review of digital access to health and social care services in community-living people with dementia and unpaid carers.

Graduated with my PhD, based in the Geographic Data Science Lab in Geography & Planning (School of Environmental Sciences), with supervisors across Geography and Planning, Primary Care & Mental Health and Clinical Support from a practicing community geriatrician. My PhD project focused on using big data to examine inequalities in healthcare use and mortality risk among 140,000+ people with diagnosed dementia.