August TCAID: In Focus

Visiting Researcher Experience

A Reflection by Dr. Michelle Scotton Franklin, Ph.D., APRN

During May 2022, I had the incredible opportunity to spend two weeks as a Visiting Researcher with Prof. Mary McCarron and her team at the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability (TCAID). I had first met and spent time with Prof. McCarron during January 2020 when she was honored as a visiting Scholar at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina where I was completing my PhD. I knew about her program of research including The Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA), so I was excited to spend time being mentored by her and learning more about her career and the strategies she employed to be a such a catalyst for change. When she invited me to come to Trinity College, I knew this was an invitation I could not turn down. This would also be my first visit to Ireland. However, I had seen photos of the beautiful Irish landscape and enjoyed examples of the Irish culture my entire life. I arrived in Dublin, Ireland on May 14, 2022, with great expectation; but to be clear, this experience exceeded my expectations in every way.

During my time in Dublin and the surrounding areas, I had many opportunities to see the impact of Prof. McCarron and the TCAID team members’ efforts. For example, I had one-on-one meetings with TCAID experts learning how they work tirelessly to ensure the IDS-TILDA study is conducted rigorously generates information that will make meaningful difference in the lives of people with intellectual disability. I enjoyed learning more about IDS-TILDA data collection, analysis, and visualization and the strategies they are using to make sure the new knowledge they are generating is accessible to the community and policy makers. I enjoyed traveling by train to community sites and meeting frontline staff, and people with ID. I saw examples of how Prof. McCarron and TCAID’s efforts are directly helping people with ID, their families, and their communities. I virtually attended national and international conferences that had invited Prof. McCarron to guest lecturing, and I witnessed first-hand how she translates her research for the national and international audiences. I also appreciated the opportunity to participate in international working groups Prof. McCarron and her team facilitated. These meetings further illuminated their commitment to multidisciplinary engagement and their presence as international thought leaders.

It was incredible to witness the many ways Prof. McCarron and the TCAID team have been working strategically, for so many years on a local, regional, national, and international scale. Though I cannot detail them all here, I will leave you with one final example. Through the time I spent with Michael Foley, PPI Ignite Programme Manager and Mei Lin Yap, Ambassador Liaison Officer, I witnessed first-hand TCAID’s deep commitment to promoting public and patient involvement and disability justice. These values have been intentionally embedded throughout the Centre’s culture and processes. What I witnessed is an incredible example of commitment to “Nothing About Us Without Us” and ensuring the voice of people with intellectual disability and what is meaningful to them remains the focus.

 

It was a pleasure to exchange ideas, share findings from my own research, and explore the opportunities for future collaborations at Trinity College and TCAID. And though this was my first trip I am certain it will not be my last. The many ways I witnessed Prof. McCarron and TCAID’s dedication and the camaraderie will continue to echo in my mind and energize me to maximize research impact.

Michelle Scotton Franklin, MSN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CNS, is a PhD candidate at Duke University School of Nursing studying the health care transition, health status, and functional outcomes of adolescents and young adults with intellectual disabilities as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.