Professor  Dympna Casey (RGN, BA, MA, Phd) has a clinical background in care of older people. She has worked in several different cultures including Australia, Sudan, Kosovo and Angola. For the past 20 years she has worked in nursing education in the National University of Ireland Galway.  She teaches across a range of programmes and supervises students at Masters and PhD level.  Her research interests include care of older people, dementia, self-management of chronic diseases and health promotion. She has a keen interest in promoting healthier lifestyles for older people and in examining ways of supporting and maintaining the health and functional capacity of older people. She has specific expertise in case studies, surveys, mixed methods and qualitative research methodologies.  Her research skills also include designing and developing interventions for RCT’s and ensuring that such interventions are informed by users and other key stakeholders.