Profile – Dr Olivia Luijnenburg, King’s College London

I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the NIHR Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit at the Policy Institute of King’s College London, funded through the DEM-COMM fellowship scheme. My BA was in Religious Studies and my MA in Medical Anthropology. This combination led me to do ethnographic research on the spiritual needs of people living in care homes. Most of my research projects now involve people affected by dementia, care homes, and the social care workforce (and I love using creative methods if that serves the reseach projects). As I spend a lot of time in the Netherlands and France, I am keen to do more collaborative/comparative research with researchers from France and the Benelux.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself:

I love Studio Ghibli films and have a Totoro phone case, which means now everyone keeps giving me Totoro gifts (I’m very happy about this).

Why did you choose to work in dementia research?

My previous studies led me to do research in care homes and spending lots of time there made me appreciate dementia care and the care home sector even more. Several of my grandparents have lived in care homes in the Netherlands and it was a very positive experience for them because they had a lot of contact with surrounding communities.

What single piece of advice would you give to an early career researcher?

Don’t be afraid to include people living with dementia in your research and surround yourself with supportive and kind colleagues.

What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?

How to be perfect: the correct answer to every moral question, by Michael Schur. It’s based on what he researched for his series The Good Place and it’s fun, I’d recommend it.

Favourite film of all time?

Too difficult to answer, but I always say Lost in Translation although the last time I saw it is 15 years ago.

Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?

Theatre, cinema, concerts, food, food, food.