NIHR ARC Palliative and End of Life Care National Leadership Webinar Series

Professor Irene Higginson, OBE, on Better Treatments for Refractory Breathlessness (the BETTER-B programme)

Irene Higginson is the director of Better Health and Care Future's at King's College London, and a professor of palliative care and policy at the Cicely Saunders Institute. She also co-leads the National NIHR ARC Leadership in Palliative and End of Life Care (PEoLC) and leads the PEoLC theme for the ARC South London.

As chief investigator for the BETTER-B programme, Irene Higginson leads pioneering research focused on improving treatments for refractory and chronic breathlessness. This includes a clinical trial of mirtazapine to manage breathlessness, addressing a key area of unmet need in palliative care. 

Professor Matthew Maddocks on Breathlessness Support Services

Matthew Maddocks is a professor of health services research and rehabilitation at King’s College London and an expert physiotherapist in palliative and end of life care. He leads a team undertaking applied clinical and health services research that advances rehabilitation and palliative care for people with serious illness, through improved management of complex symptoms and syndromes. He is also joint-deputy director of the ARC South London.

Professor Morag Farquhar on the Learning about Breathlessness (LaB) study

Morag Farquhar has over 30 years of experience in health services research, specializing in palliative and supportive care. She has worked with health authorities in London and at the universities of London, Manchester, Cambridge, and East Anglia, and is a former nurse (King's College London).

At the University of East Anglia, Morag Farquhar leads programmes such as Learning about Breathlessness (a web-based resource for unpaid/family carers), and the Carer Support Nurse programme. She also co-leads the National NIHR ARC Leadership PEoLC and leads the PEoLC theme for the ARC East of England.