ProfessorIlona Juraskova

Ilona’s research program spans multiple areas of Health Psychology, with a strong focus on psycho-oncology and improving the psychosocial wellbeing of people affected by chronic illness. Together with her healthCARE research team, she works in partnership with patients, families, and clinicians to identify unmet needs and priorities for care, and to co-design and evaluate practical, evidence-based interventions and resources that addresss these needs and can be readily implemented in real-world health care,

Our current areas of research interest include:

• Improving patient, family, and clinician communication and shared decision-making across complex health contexts

 e.g., clinical trial participation, informed consent for genomic testing, and end-of-life decision-making, including Voluntary Assisted Dying [VAD]

• Promoting a shift from solely patient-centred approaches toward family-centred healthcare

        e.g., collaborative decision-making, family empowerment, and multimorbidity)

• Supporting adjustment, psychosocial wellbeing, and quality of life from diagnosis through survivorship and palliative care

        E.g., psychosexual impacts, and younger adults affected by treatment-induced menopause

• Addressing gaps in healthcare systems and service delivery through co-designed, implementation-focused approaches 

        E.g.,  guideline development to improve mental health care accessibility and service quality for Deaf communities