Angela trained as a Nurse and Registered Mental Health Nurse . Her passion for gerontological nursing led her to undertake a Masters Degree in Gerontology and she worked in gerontological nursing environments. She moved to academic life atThe University of the West of Scotland (UWS). She set up a Gerontology Interest Group for academics, students, clinicians and members of the public, as a way to share best practice in gerontological nursing. During her time at UWS she designed and delivered degree modules in gerontology,
Angela wrote a nurse specialist programme for the World Health Organisation (WHO) and worked for WHO in a consultancy capacity to produce a Training Master Protocol on using “cascade plus strategy” especially in developing countries.
She co-edited and wrote chapters for a text book on caring for older people and has published widely, Her Multifactorial Attitudes Questionnaire (MAQ) was used in a six country research project she led and has been used in the United States, Sweden and Germany.
She has supervised five PhD students to completion.
Angela joined Edinburgh Napier University as Associate Professor in January 2016.
She partners a Horizon 2020 project on Ageism and an Erasmus Mundus Masters in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing.
Angela is co-creator of the Ageing Research Network at ENU, and there are currently 50 older people affiliated to the network.
Angela has been a steering group member of the forum for nurses working with older people (Royal College of Nursing) and a steering group member of the British Society of Gerontology. She is currently secretary to the Upsilon Xi chapter of Sigma International (formerly the STTI).
Her research centres on frail older people and people with dementia – with a special interest in nursing homes and home care.
Angela is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and teaches on the undergraduate and post-graduate courses at ENU.