Lancaster Professor Nancy Preston has been elected to a Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences.

She is a Professor of Supportive and Palliative Care, Co-Director of the International Observatory on End-of-Life Care at Lancaster University and a member of the NIHR/Department of Health Policy Research Unit for Palliative Care.

Her research focusses on palliative care and how best to integrate it into general healthcare systems including oncology and respiratory units, ICU, the community, hospices and care homes. She has been involved in seven European studies which focus upon service delivery, enhancing shared decision making and symptom management.

Professor Preston is especially interested in how people make decisions at the end-of-life including advance care planning and assisted dying, giving evidence before parliamentary enquiries for both the UK and Irish Governments.

She said: “I’m honoured to be appointed a Fellow. This privilege offers an opportunity to support the excellence and impact of social sciences in palliative care research. Palliative care aims to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families, and research in this area is essential if we are to make further improvements.”

The Academy’s Fellowship includes 1,600 leading social scientists from academia, the public, private and third sectors.

Their expertise covers the breadth of the social sciences, and their practice and research addresses some of the major challenges facing communities, society, places and economies. All Academy Fellows are elected for their excellence in their fields and their substantial contributions to social science for public benefit. Selection is through an independent peer review which recognises their excellence and impact.

Will Hutton FAcSS, President of the Academy, said, “I’m delighted to welcome these 64 outstanding social scientists to the Academy’s Fellowship, whose research and practice are helping to develop solutions to pressing societal issues. From informing decision-making around environmental challenges and encouraging entrepreneurial growth to improving planning systems and tackling educational inequalities, their insights, skills and understanding are delivering positive impact to improve our daily lives.”

New Fellows were elected from 32 UK organisations, comprising 28 Higher Education Institutions, as well as think tanks, non-profits and business, and overseas institutions.