Dr Matthew Allsop
- Position: Associate Professor of Palliative Care
- Areas of expertise: palliative care; cancer; digital technology; health research; user involvement; global health; sub-Saharan Africa; service evaluation
- Email: M.J.Allsop@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)113 343 4185
- Location: Level 10 Worsley Building
- Website: Twitter | Researchgate
Profile
I am an Associate Professor of Palliative Care funded by a Yorkshire Cancer Research University Academic Fellowship. My research explores the development of palliative care services including the design and evaluation of digital health approaches.
I obtained my PhD from the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds before spending time in the medical device industry supporting manufacturers with user involvement approaches and early-stage economic evaluation. I returned to the University of Leeds as a Research Fellow in Applied Health working with NHS clinical commissioners prior to joining the Academic Unit of Palliative Care.
Current responsibilities include:
- Member of the University of Leeds Africa Strategy Group
- Member of PallCHASE (Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies)
Research interests
My research explores the development of palliative care services, including the design and evaluation of digital health approaches. My research is conducted across a range of settings including the UK, Indonesia, and multiple countries in Africa.
My research as a primary investigator includes the following projects:
- UKRI GCRF and Newton Consolidation Accounts 2022: Optimisation of a digital health approach to support continuity of palliative care for refugee populations in Uganda
- West Yorkshire Research and Development (WY R&D) 2020: Research Capability Funding (RCF) to explore the COVID-19 response across palliative care services in Leeds and Bradford
- National Institute for Health Research 2020: “Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS) in end of life care: evaluating their implementation and optimising future service provision”
- Research England QR GCRF 2018: "Understanding the role of digital technologies to enhance palliative cancer care delivery in low- and middle-income settings"
- Yorkshire Cancer Research 2018: University Academic Fellowship, "Connected Cancer Care Yorkshire: Maximising engagement with digital technology to support better care of patients with advanced cancer"
- Medical Research Council 2018: "Understanding data and information needs for palliative cancer care to target mobile phone-based intervention development in Uganda and Zimbabwe"
- Leeds Palliative and End of Life Care Managed Clinical Network 2018: "Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS) evaluation in Leeds and Bradford"
- Wellcome Institutional Strategy Support Fund 2016: Academic Secondment Fellowship (with Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association)
- NHS Leeds South and East CCG 2015: "Evaluation of an Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination System (EPaCCS) across Leeds"
- University of Leeds, International Research Collaboration Award 2015: "The role of mobile technology in supporting symptom management for palliative care patients in sub-Saharan Africa"
- University of Leeds, Engagement Excellence Scheme 2014: “What is palliative care? Consulting hospice shop volunteers to devise a public engagement strategy”
- Wellcome Trust, Small Grant Scheme 2013: “Hospice volunteers as facilitators of public engagement in cancer pain research”
- Wellcome Trust, Biomedical Summer Studentship Bursary 2012: “The effect of visuomotor task performance on postural stability in older adults”
- Nuffield, Summer Studentship Science Bursary 2009: “Engaging children in health-related design processes”
Projects funded as a co-investigator or collaborator include:
- Research England Policy Support Fund 2021: “Embedding the patient voice into palliative and end of life care policy in England”
- Research England QR GCRF 2020: “Developing national physical activity promotion policies in hospice care”
- White Rose Collaboration Fund 2020: “Measuring, evaluating and improving the quality of care for dying people and their families”
- Research England QR GCRF 2019: “Telerehabilitation to improve the quality of life of individuals with long term disabilities in Nepal” (click for a video providing an overview of the project)
- University of Leeds Pump-priming for Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives 2019: “A user-centred approach to develop a new garment orthosis for improving movement in children with cerebral palsy”
- Global Crucible 2019: “Developing a low-cost digital platform to improve Continuing Professional Development in rehabilitation for healthcare professionals in Madagascar”
- IASP Developing Countries Project: Initiative for Improving Pain Education 2019: “Project OPUS – Online pain education for Nigerian medical undergraduate students"
- Biomedical and Health Research Centre, University of Leeds 2012: "Evaluating the benefits of gamma knife surgery for patients with trigeminal neuralgia"
Previous public engagement activity as a contributor includes:
- “Searching for Meaning”, 2019: An award-winning documentary that looks at life, death, and palliative and end of life care
Current postgraduate students:
- Will Goodman (with Rebecca Beeken and Amy Downing). Research title: Using advanced quantitative methods to explore physical activity and quality of life in patients with a stoma.
- Emmanuel Leshak (with Bassey Ebenso and Cathy Brennan). Research title: Psychosocial impact of community-based management of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Nigeria.
- Eme Asuquo (with Kate Absolom and Bassey Ebenso). Research title: The provision of breast cancer survivorship care in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Jakki Birtwistle (with Amy Russell and Sam Relton). Research title: Technology-mediated approaches to advance care planning.
- Rebecca Day (DClin) (with Florien Boele and Charlotte Baker). Research title: What is it like to experience an online cognitive screen for people who have had a stroke?
Completed doctoral students:
- Asma Abahussin (PhD, 2021) (with Lucy Ziegler, Robert West, and David Wong). Research title: A health informatics approach for recording pain and supporting effective pain management in cancer patients.
- Hayley Scanlon (DClinPsy, 2021) (with Gary Latchford). Research title: Understanding hospice social workers’ experiences of their work with adults in the U.K. An interpretive phenomenological analysis.
Qualifications
- BSc Psychology
- PhD Mechanical Design Engineering
Professional memberships
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
- International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care
Student education
My current teaching roles include:
- Tutor, Individuals and Populations on MBChB, School of Medicine
- Supervisor, BSc in Applied Health (Primary Care), Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
- Tutor, Research, Evaluation and Special Studies, School of Medicine
- Supervisor, Extended Student-led Research or Evaluation Project, School of Medicine
- Lecturer, BSc in International Health, Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development
- Lecturer, Masters module on non-communicable diseases, Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development
- Faculty member, Diploma in Palliative Care, Islamic University of Gaza
Research groups and institutes
- Division of Primary Care, Palliative Care and Public Health
- St Gemma's Academic Unit of Palliative Care
- International health research
- Palliative care
- Research at the Nuffield Centre of International Health and Development
- Cancer
- Leeds Institute of Health Sciences