In 2018, Katie (she/her) completed her BA in Sociology from the State University of New York at Binghamton before moving to the UK to undertake her postgraduate studies. She completed her MA in Social Research and her MPH in International Development at the University of Sheffield. Katie’s MPH dissertation detailed a discourse analysis of the conceptualisation of dementia in low- and middle-income countries, with particular focus on the impact of global aid on these understandings.
Katie is now in the final months of her PhD in Social Work and Social Care at the University of Birmingham. Katie’s study, funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research, examines how people living with dementia, their carers and their care workers understand and navigate safety and risk in day-to-day life. In working with dementia caring triads, the study’s Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis methodology uncovers individual and relational ideas of safety and risk in the community. Katie’s study also explores remote informed consent and the use of remote methods of qualitative data collection in working with people living with dementia.
Katie feels fortunate to be surrounded by incredible researchers at the University of Birmingham, NIHR SSCR, the University of Sheffield, the Centre for Care and CIRCLE. With the innovative, interesting and important work being undertaken in a variety of topics in these organisations, Katie is excited for the future of research in adult social care. Stemming from her time in the Sheffield Methods Institute and in working in partnership with people living with dementia and those who support them in the community, Katie is also greatly interested in co-production research and the use of participatory and creative methods.
Lead Supervisor: Dr. Denise Tanner
Second Supervisor: Professor Jon Glasby
Research interests
- Adult social care,
- relationship-centred dementia care,
- co-production and creative
- participatory methods
Relevant links and publications
ORCiD: 0000-0002-1415-7194
Zwerger, K. (2022) Review of Doing Relationship-Centred Dementia Care: Learning from Each Other for Better Dementia Support, by David I.J. Reid., International Journal of Care and Caring, 6(3), pp. 469-470. Available from: < https://doi.org/10.1332/239788221X16353551956496>
Spann, A., Allard, C., Harvey, A. C., Zwerger, K., Spreeuwenberg, M., Hawley, M. and de Witte, L. (2022) ‘The impact of autonomy at work on dementia family carers’ ability to manage care-related emergencies, and use technology to that end: semi-structured interviews in Scotland’, Community, Work & Family, DOI: 10.1080/13668803.2022.2117589