The Richard Wells Research Centre at Thames Valley University

Heather Loveday

RN RNT PGDARM DN(Lond) MA 
Principal Lecturer - Research 

Heather Loveday is the Centre Director and Principal Lecturer Research in the Richard Wells Research Centre.  She also directs the Healthcare Associated Infection Research Network, funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme and the Centre for Evidence based Nursing and Midwifery that is affiliated to the Johanna Briggs Institute (University of Adelaide). 

Heather is a Registered Nurse and Nurse Teacher and completed masters studies in the philosophy of health care at University College, Swansea (University of Wales) in 1990.  She joined the Richard Wells Research Centre as Principal Lecturer (Research) in 1995 becoming involved in a large observational study of adherence to medication in people with HIV infection.

Between 1998 and 2007 she has been closely involved in the Department of Health funded epic project for the Development of Evidence Based Guidelines for the Prevention of Hospital Acquired Infection and NICE Guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infection in the community and primary care.

More recently she has conducted a number of systematic reviews and evaluations to support policy and guideline development including an independent evaluation of the Department of Health Clean Safe Care Programme. 

Heather is particularly interested in influencing and developing practice in infection prevention and control through research, innovation and improvement science and building research capability and capacity in the field of infection prevention practice.  Heather is an active member of the Infection Prevention Society as the Editor of the Journal of Infection Prevention and lead for Research and Development. 

In addition to her research interests, Heather's principal fields of expertise include biomedical ethics, teaching research methods and clinical leadership. She is a member of Faculty and University Research and Scholarship Committees and the Chair of the Faculty Research Scrutiny and Ethics sub-Committee.