Alison’s two main research interests are in chronic disease and sport for development.

She conducts both qualitative and quantitative research to develop interventions to improve professional-patient communication and patient self-care. She also develops and validates questionnaire instruments to measure psychological aspects of chronic disease, as well as evaluation tools for sport for development projects. She designs and conducts evaluation studies in health, medicine, education and community development, using a range of research methods.

Her current research uses newly-developed tools to evaluate islet cell transplant in the UK and sport for development projects in challenging environments world-wide.

Some recent research studies: professional-patient interactions; the role of health care practitioners in health behaviour change; health promotion and chronic disease management; psychological aspects of chronic disease, particularly diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus and degenerative visual problems; expectation and experience of transplant in diabetes; beliefs about childhood immunisation; health and well-being in developing countries; monitoring and evaluation in sport and development.