I am the Royal College of Nursing Chair of Nursing Research at Cardiff University. My Fellowship allowed me to explore end-of-life care issues for adolescents and young adults with cancer. I have a long-standing interest in end-of-life care, and the needs of younger people has been neglected as a topic.

In 2013 I travelled to Australia to visit the Cancer Nursing Research Unit at Sydney University and to spend time with the palliative care team in local cancer services. I also visited the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne and visited services for adolescents with cancer, such as CanTeen, a charity that supports young people facing cancer.

As a result of my Fellowship I have continued to explore the needs of young people with advanced cancer and have undertaken research in this area. I now co-chair a European Cancer Organisation network that promotes HPV vaccination in young people to protect against cancers later in life.

I was very grateful to receive the support of the Fellowship, as it provided insight into the issues facing young people and those who support them. One unexpected outcome of my Fellowship was an OBE for cancer research and education in the New Year Honours list for 2021.