Kate Knighting began her career as a psychologist working with children and young people with learning disabilities and complex healthcare needs and those affected by cancer. She has been a researcher for over 25 years and is currently a Reader (also referred to as Associate Professor) in Palliative and Supportive Care in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University.

Her research interests include the care and well-being of children and young adults with complex healthcare needs, special educational needs and disability, family carers, and the needs of those living with and beyond cancer. She uses qualitative and quantitative research approaches and works with children, families and professionals to develop and conduct research that will be meaningful and relevant to the lives of those who take part.  

Kate enjoys PhD and Masters supervision with students and has supervised to completion studies on a wide range of topics including the use of advance care planning with young people, development of a triage tool to identify and support young carers in schools, antipsychotic augmentation for treatment resistant childhood obsessive compulsive disorder. and the use of digital legacies for young people of an parent with motor neurone disease. Current students are researching the impact of childhood cancer on adult survivors, reception teachers’ understanding of the effect of preterm birth on a child’s learning and development, the lived experiences of aunts and uncles supporting parents of children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder.

She teaches research skills and evidence-based practice across the MBChB and Physician Association programmes in the medical school, including leadership of modules on critical appraisal and research development.

As Faculty Lead for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in Research Kate provides training for PG research students and staff along with one-to-one support for individuals and projects. She is also Chair of the University Health-related Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and a member of the University Research Ethics Sub-Committee.