Dr Matthew Allsop
- Position: Associate Professor of Palliative Care
- Areas of expertise: palliative care; cancer; digital technology; health research; user involvement; international health; refugee and migrant health
- 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)
- Member of International Partnership for Resilience in Cancer Systems (I-PaRCS)
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:
- British Medical Association Foundation 2023: “The Association of Social Determinants of Health in Decision Making at the End of Life: A Retrospective Observation Cohort Study”. Co-PI with Professor Jonathan Koffman.
- CommCare Grant for Frontline Research 2023: A pilot study of digital health approaches for palliative care in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi
- 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:
- Royal Marsden Charity and Royal Marsden/ICR Biomedical Research Centre 2023: “Evaluation of Electronic Palliative Care Coordination Systems to support advance care planning for people living with life-limiting conditions”
- Pfizer Global Bridges Oncology 2023: “Standardizing the Reporting of acute side effects and management through a Practice Improvement Project (STAR-PIPE)”
- Worldwide University Network 2022: “Supporting nurses’ palliative care education needs”
- 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
Visiting scholars:
- Dr Sarute Chawvavanich, through the Prince Mahidol Award Youth (PMAY) Program scholarship
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.
- Rebecca Day (DClinPsy, 2023) (with Florien Boele and Charlotte Baker). Research title: Exploration of a stroke population's experiences of a digital cognitive assessment: a think-aloud and interview study
Qualifications
- BSc Psychology
- PhD Mechanical Design Engineering
Professional memberships
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
- Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol)
Student education
My current teaching roles include:
- Module Co-Lead, Systematic Reviews in Health Research, Postgraduate Programmes in Health Research
- 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