Having initially pursued a career in law, Nicola retrained as a registered nurse in 1999 and has worked as a clinical research nurse within the NHS since 2003. Nicola has worked across a range of specialities, including oncology, palliative care, and nephrology, delivering and co-ordinating clinical drug and device trials.

Nicola completed an MSc in Healthcare Law and Ethics in 2008 and began an HEE NIHR ICA Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship in 2019. Her fellowship explored the use and implementation of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in the management of patients with end-stage kidney disease requiring treatment with haemodialysis.

Following the completion of her PhD in 2023, Nicola has taken up a Research Fellow post at the Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, University of Birmingham. Her work focuses on exploring the use and implementation of digitally administered PROMs in routine care and research settings. Appointed an NIHR Senior Research Leader for Nursing & Midwifery in April 2024, she works two days a week at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) as a Clinical Academic Lead Nurse, supporting research capability and capacity building for nurses, midwives and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).

Clinical Director