Alison Pooler

Biography

PhD, MSc(Health), BSc(Hons), PGCHPE, SFHEA, RGN, RNT, V300.

Alison undertook her nursing degree at Edinburgh University, graduating in 1992. Since then she has worked in a range of acute settings including intensive care, emergency medicine and acute medicine, finally developing as an advanced practitioner in respiratory medicine.

She moved to academia in 2006 and first worked at Staffordshire University before moving to Keele University in 2008. Here she developed a suite of courses on non-medical prescribing, which she continually enhanced and led for 11 years, Gaining national recognition of her innovative curriculum designs and concepts with the NMC and HCPC. She gained her senior lecturer promotion in 2018 and 2019 moved to work in the School of Medicine to implement the new Physician Associate programme, which develops effective and efficient Physician Associates to integrate into the workforce of the health service. Top which the new apprenticeship route has been added from Sept 2023. She was part of the GMC working group to develop the new MAP national curriculum and is an active member of the executive team of the PA schools council.

She also leads on the development of the new FMHS professional doctorate programme, which provides a collaborative approach to doctoral education. As an experienced PhD/doctoral supervisor she uses her knowledge alongside her own experience to provide excellent support for her students. Gaining  nominations for best PhD Supervisor of the year in 2019

Research and scholarship

Alison's research focuses mainly in respiratory medicine, on the long-term management of asthma and COPD, with an interest in the psychological aspects of such care. She was the runner up in the RCN's Akinsanya Award for PhD studies in 2008 for her PhD. 

She also has an interest in pedagogical research in health professional education and has developed substantial scholarship in the area of support for students with neurodivergent needs.

Although moving into academia she still retains her clinical contact via her research with clinical colleagues in respiratory medicine.

She is the deputy chair for the PA Schools Council and the chair of the Education subcommittee. She sits on various committees with the GMC and NHSE to promote the education and training of physician associates as part of the health care team. She was previously a QA reviewer with the NMC for non-medical prescribing programmes across the UK, and was a member of a working group to develop the national MAP curriculum with the GMC.