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Meet The Team

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DesHCA’s team brings together a vibrant team from academia and the private sector to examine the key issues around cognitively supportive home design and adaptation.

You can read more about each of our team members below, and find out more about their work and interests by clicking on their picture.

The DesHCA Team

Professor Alison Bowes

Alison is the Principle Investigator in charge of both DesHCA and CIR. She has a BA and PhD in Social Anthropology, and her research focuses on the experiences of older marginalised people, including people living with dementia and black and minority ethnic communities.

Professor Fiona Copland

Fiona is a Co-Investigator on the DesHCA Project. She has an MA in Applied Linguistics, and a PhD in Educational Linguistics. Her research explores issues around communicating information to diverse audiences, the use of language, and the design of teaching materials. 

Professor Alasdair Rutherford

Alasdair is a Co-Investigator on the DesHCA Project. He has an MSc and PhD degrees in Economics and specialises in using large datasets to explore key issues in the fields of health, social care, and the third sector.

Dr Alison Dawson

Alison is a Co-Investigator on DesHCA and the CIR Project. She has a Master’s in Business Administration, and a PhD in Industrial Sociology. Her work focuses on exploring how changing policy and practice can improve the wellbeing of older people with and without dementia. 

Professor Vikki McCall

Vikki is a Co-Investigator on the DesHCA Project. She has an MSc in Applied Social Research and a PhD in Social Policy. She specialises in research exploring the experiences of front-line workers and volunteers bridging the gap between policy and practice.

Dr Grant Gibson

Grant is a Co-Investigator on the DesHCA Project. He has an MA in Social and Cultural Geography, and a PhD in Social Gerontology. His research explores how older people with and without dementia can use technology to improve their quality of life.

Dr Melanie Lovatt

Melanie is a Co-Investigator on the DesHCA project. She has an MA in Folklore and a PhD in Sociology and specialises in using qualitative research methods to explore the experiences of older people.
Lesley Palmer

Ms Lesley Palmer

Lesley is an Industry Partner for DesHCA and was involved in designing the project itself. She is a RIBA registered architect with a BSc in Architecture, and an MSc in Urban Design. She specialises in evidence-based design and provides both design consultancy and education through the DSDC. 

Mr Jeremy Porteus

Jeremy is a Co-Investigator and Industry Partner on the DesHCA project. He is the CEO of the Housing Learning and Improvement Network and specialises in identifying opportunities for collaboration between professionals in in academia, housing, health, and social care.

Dr Martin Quirke

Martin is a Co-Investigator and Research Fellow on the DesHCA project. He has BSc and PhD degrees in Architecture and is a RIBA registered architect. His work investigates the influence of architectural design on the wellbeing and independence of older people with and without dementia.

Dr Lisa Davison

Lisa is a Quantitative Research Fellow on the DesHCA project and has MSc and PhD degrees in Gerontology. Lisa specialises in using secondary data to examine the relationships between key issues affecting older people, such as wellbeing, health, and loneliness.

Dr Junjie Huang

Junjie is a Senior Architect/Design Consultant with the DesHCA project. He has a PhD in Architecture and specialises in human-environment relations. He provides design consultancy and research support to age and dementia related projects through the DSDC.

Dr Sadhana Jagannath

Sadhana is an Impact Research Fellow on the DesHCA project with a PhD in Environmental Psychology. Her research explores the interactions between a person’s physical environment, their health, and their wellbeing.

Dr Cate Pemble

Cate is a Research Fellow DesHCA and the CIR project. She has an MSc in Psychological Research Methods, and a PhD in Dementia Studies. Her work explores how the intersection of disability and dementia can influence people’s perception and experience of living with dementia. 

Dr Mary Njoki

Mary is a Qualitative Research Fellow on the DesHCA project with a PhD in Dementia Studies. Her work focuses on exploring the experiences of people living with dementia, the experiences of Black Minority and Ethnic people’s access to services, and the intersection of dementia, age, class, and ethnicity.
Louise Foster

Ms Louise Foster

Louise is the Project Administrator for DesHCA. She is a qualified accounting technician, and is involved in coordinating the project, arranging events, and liaising with academic team members, industrial partners, funders and charities in the UK and abroad. 

DesHCA's Community Researchers

Ms Joan Gibson

Joan has been a peer researcher at the University of Stirling since 2016. She has personal experience of supporting people living with dementia and hopes her work with DesHCA will lead to industry leaders acknowledging the importance of supportive design.

Ms Ro Pengelly

Ro has been a peer researcher at the University of Stirling since 2016. She brings information systems experience into the DesHCA project to help optimise impact, so that UK housing can better support people with increasing needs, and their caring friends.

The Changing Intergenerational Relationships Team

Professor Alison Bowes

Alison is the Principle Investigator in charge of both DesHCA and CIR. She has a BA and PhD in Social Anthropology, and her research focuses on the experiences of older marginalised people, including people living with dementia and black and minority ethnic communities.

Dr Alison Dawson

Alison is a Co-Investigator on DesHCA and the CIR Project. She has a Master’s in Business Administration, and a PhD in Industrial Sociology. Her work focuses on exploring how changing policy and practice can improve the wellbeing of older people with and without dementia. 

Dr Heather Emond

Heather is a Qualitative Research Fellow on the CIR project. She has an MSc in International Relations and a PhD in Applied Social Science. Her research focuses on intergenerational inclusion for people living with dementia and the implementation of intergenerational programmes.

Dr Cate Pemble

Cate is a Research Fellow DesHCA and the CIR project. She has an MSc in Psychological Research Methods, and a PhD in Dementia Studies. Her work explores how the intersection of disability and dementia can influence people’s perception and experience of living with dementia. 

Industry Partners

Architecture & Construction

Our industrial partners specialising in architecture and construction helps DesHCA to make practical recommendations that shape the homes of the future.
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Health & Care

Learning from organisations that provide care gives DesHCA an insight into the care and support needs of older people over time.
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Technology

Collaborating with industry professionals helps DesHCA use cutting edge technology to explore issues around designing homes for healthy cognitive ageing.
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Housing

Involving housing providers and industry leaders helps DesHCA to consider how adapting existing homes can help older people with and without cognitive change.
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Higher Education

Sharing our research with partners in education allows DesHCA to inform professional training and development.
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Local Authorities

Building connections with Scotland’s local authorities helps DesHCA to make practical recommendations with real world impact.
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