New board member: Louise Hoyle
I am Head of the Admiral Nurse Academy at Dementia UK, where I lead work to strengthen dementia nursing practice, education and workforce development. I am a Registered Nurse with a PhD in Sociology and Social Policy, bringing a multidisciplinary perspective across practice, research and policy. I have over 15 years’ experience in higher education, and my academic journey and clinical background drew me to dementia research, particularly the challenge of translating evidence into meaningful, psychosocial, person‑centred support for people living with dementia and their families.
My research interests focus on strengthening psychosocial, person‑centred dementia care through workforce development, evidence translation and pedagogic innovation. I am particularly interested in how research‑informed education can enhance practitioner capability, confidence and readiness for complex dementia care roles, and how this translates into improved outcomes for people living with dementia and their families.
Through my role as Head of the Admiral Nurse Academy at Dementia UK, I lead the development of research‑aligned education for Admiral Nurses (Specialist Dementia Nurses). This work provides practical insight into how applied research, structured professional development and knowledge mobilisation can support the implementation of evidence‑based interventions in practice. Methodologically, my work is informed by qualitative and practice‑based approaches. I aim to contribute this applied, workforce‑focused perspective to collaborative and interdisciplinary dementia research.
In my role as Head of the Admiral Nurse Academy at Dementia UK, I provide strategic, operational and professional leadership for the continuing professional and practice development of Admiral Nurses. This work is focused on strengthening workforce capability to ensure that people living with dementia and their families experience consistently high‑quality, evidence‑based psychosocial support across diverse care settings and systems.
A central strand of my work involves translating research evidence into structured education and professional learning pathways that enhance practitioner confidence, competence and readiness for complex dementia care roles. As a researcher, my aspiration is to strengthen recognition of workforce development and education as critical mechanisms for improving quality, equity and sustainability in dementia care. I am particularly interested in collaborative, interdisciplinary research that bridges implementation, education and service delivery, and in methodological approaches that centre on learning, adaptation and impact in real‑world contexts. Through this work, I aim to generate practice‑relevant evidence that supports meaningful improvements for, person‑ and family‑centred dementia care.
I joined INTERDEM because of my strong commitment to advancing high‑quality dementia research-based education through European collaboration, and to strengthening the translation of evidence into practice. The network’s interdisciplinary focus closely aligns with my interest in applied, implementation‑focused research that supports meaningful improvements in dementia care. I am keen to engage actively with INTERDEM through collaborative research, shared learning and methodological exchange, particularly in areas relating to workforce development, implementation, and psychosocial, person‑centred dementia care.
Outside of work, I enjoy making jewellery and find real joy and inspiration in creative craft. I’m also an enthusiastic cold‑water swimmer and regularly swim in lochs and reservoirs across Scotland. Being outdoors and in the water provides a welcome counterbalance to my professional life and a chance to reset, whatever the weather.