September 2026
CARE Research Wales has been delighted to welcome eight new colleagues to the team since June 2026, marking another significant milestone in the centre’s continued growth and development.
The appointments reflect the expanding scale of CARE’s research portfolio and the centre’s increasing success in securing external research funding. Several of our new colleagues have joined as a direct result of newly funded projects supported by a range of major funders, enabling us to grow our capacity to deliver high-quality, impactful adult social care research across Wales and beyond.
We are particularly grateful for the ongoing support of Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW), whose investment in CARE has helped establish and sustain a thriving research environment where ambitious social care research can flourish. This support has enabled us to build a strong multidisciplinary team, develop new collaborations and create opportunities to attract further external funding that benefits the adult social care sector in Wales.
Since June, we have welcomed:
- Shane Doheny, Research Associate, Socially Connected SmartCare
- Sharmila Mahesh Kumar, Research Associate (CARE)
- Mel Meindl, Research Fellow (CARE), starting
- Celia Netana, Research Associate, OMESH Study
- Emma Richards, Research Associate (CARE)
- Nikita Stokes, Research Assistant (CARE)
- Michele Convery, Public Involvement and Engagement Administrator (CARE)
- Paul Spillane, Research Finance Officer (CARE)
Our new colleagues bring a wealth of expertise to CARE. Shane Doheny joins with extensive experience in social science and health research, including work on ageing, healthcare policy and the social dimensions of health and care. Sharmila Mahesh Kumar brings expertise in qualitative and co-produced research focused on substance use, wellbeing and domestic abuse. Celia Netana’s research has explored social and economic inequalities, including employment conditions within the Welsh social care sector.
Nikita Stokes contributes experience in research on social inequalities, violence against women and the experiences of young people. Mel Meindl joins as Research Fellow (having previously been a Research Associate with CARE and much-valued member of the team), bringing an interdisciplinary background spanning social care, psychology and neuroscience, alongside expertise in realist methodologies and health and social care inequalities. Emma Richards brings expertise in ageing, dementia and public health research, with experience leading studies on cognitive ageing, hearing loss and dementia, as well as contributing to research impact and public health initiatives.
Michele Convery brings valuable experience in staff engagement and research culture, while Paul Spillane contributes extensive financial management expertise that will support CARE’s growing programme of externally funded research.
Among the projects driving this expansion is the OMESH study (Older Men’s Experiences of Hoarding and Engagement with Local Authority Social Care Services), which aims to improve understanding of how older men experiencing hoarding and self-neglect engage with social care services and identify ways to enhance support. We are pleased to welcome Celia Netana to this important project team.
We are also pleased to welcome Shane Doheny to the Socially Connected SmartCare project. This project explores how low-cost smart technologies can support independent, socially connected living for people with dementia at home. Working alongside people living with dementia, carers and social care professionals, the study co-designs and assesses inclusive, affordable SmartCare solutions that can be embedded within everyday social care practice. Building on CARE’s wider programme of research into technology, social care and wellbeing, the project will contribute to evidence on how digital and smart care solutions can enhance quality of life, wellbeing and independence while supporting person-centred approaches to care. Shane’s appointment strengthens the team’s capacity to deliver this important and timely area of research.
Professor Paul Willis, Director of CARE Research Wales, said:
“It is a real pleasure to welcome so many talented new colleagues to CARE. Their appointments reflect both the strength of the centre and the growing recognition of the importance of adult social care research. We are especially grateful for the support of Health and Care Research Wales and to the range of funders who are investing in our work. Together, these partnerships are enabling us to grow our team, expand our research programme and increase our impact across Wales and beyond.”
The centre’s growth is set to continue. Alongside these new appointments, CARE is currently recruiting for an additional researcher to work on the CARE Needs Assessment Project, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). This latest opportunity demonstrates the continuing expansion of CARE’s research portfolio and our commitment to building research capacity in adult social care.
As CARE continues to develop, we look forward to the contributions our new colleagues will make to research, public involvement, knowledge exchange and impact, helping to improve adult social care policy and practice for people and communities across Wales.
