Dr. Laura Coffey

Biography: I am a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, and hold a BA (Hons) in Psychology from University College Dublin, MPsychSc in Health Psychology from the University of Galway, and PhD from Dublin City University. In my research, I am interested in exploring the lived experience and psychosocial impacts of illness, disability and ageing, particularly during transitions in care. I have specific expertise in the areas of limb loss, cancer survivorship, and the role of goal setting and management, shared decision-making and assistive technologies in empowering people and improving personally valued outcomes.

Within the context of the ADVANCE CRT, I am interested in investigating how hyper-connectivity and the Internet of Things can be leveraged to improve the health and wellbeing of people experiencing challenges related to illness, disability and/or ageing, by enabling them to continue striving towards valued goals and participate meaningfully in their everyday lives, communities and society.

In order to maximise the capacity of future networks and communications technologies to support sustainable and independent living, the user’s perspective is paramount. I am interested in supervising research that will use innovative qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore people’s perceptions of these technologies, the opportunities they present for assisting living, and their personal, social and ethical implications. I am also interested in research involving the co-design of products and applications that are powered from their inception by what matters to potential users. I am very open to interdisciplinary research and collaborating with colleagues in diverse fields.

Research Interests: Assistive Technology;