ORCHID Annual Report 2024 - Flipbook - Page 6
She has worked in the field of paediatric cardiology and transplantation since
1984, both as a health psychology practitioner and researcher, and she
established a clinical service and research programme in paediatric
cardiothoracic transplantation at Harefield Hospital in 1988. In recognition of
her contribution to the field she received the Distinguished Allied Health
Professional Award from the International Paediatric Transplantation
Association in 2013.
Her research and the majority of her academic supervision are focused on
patient and family outcomes and experience in the field of complex health,
particularly in relation to critical care and cardiorespiratory medicine from
infancy to early adulthood. Part of this work also includes different approaches
to screening and early intervention to improve developmental and
psychological outcomes. A highlight of 2024 was success, after several years
of trying and a number of failed grant applications, in receiving funding from
the British Heart Foundation to follow up a cohort of children with congenital
heart disease, who were recruited as infants in 2015-2017 to a study looking
at the impact of cardiac surgical morbidity. This funding will enable
approximately 200 children with CHD and 200 healthy controls to be
comprehensively evaluated at the age of 9-11 years in terms of academic,
cognitive, motor, psychosocial and quality of life outcomes. The study will
commence in 2025 and will provide the largest UK data set focusing on these
outcomes in children with CHD and inform the development of outputs to raise
awareness of the issues a child with CHD may experience.
ORCiD ID: 0000-0002-4769-1211
GoogleScholar:
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=B9KFPaYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=a
Administrative Support
Leahana Stonier – Research Administrator
Leahana joined the ORCHID team in December 2022. She is
responsible for coordinating the daily management of the
team, providing administration support and assistance in
research projects.
Leahana supports the researchers within the team in organising the
operational areas of their projects including workshops and assisted with the
running of the hybrid ORCHID Conference Day 2024.
Establishment:
As an interdisciplinary researcher she is particularly interested in engagement
and using innovative, creative and technological approaches to facilitate
communication about health, both with those affected by specific conditions
and/or treatments and the wider public. Building on the themes of innovation
and digital technologies, she began working with the Digital Research,
Innovation and Virtual Environment (DRIVE) Team at GOSH in 2022,
evaluating Proof of Concept trials. In 2024 evaluation focused on a trial of
ambient AI in a range of diverse health care settings which included GOSH
outpatient clinics and other secondary and primary care environments.
Her current programme of psychosocial research and quality improvement
projects includes three main streams of work:
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•
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Cardiorespiratory disease, critical care and solid organ transplantation
Measurement and evaluation
Patient reported experiences and outcomes in children with chronic
and/or rare conditions
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