Kathryn is a sociologist. Her key research interests address the following areas:

• Sociology of family lives and other close relationships of care in people's lives
• Social care
• Palliative and end of life care – particularly related to family experiences
• LGBT lives across the life course

She developed an innovative programme of research exploring the impact of intersectionality in the lives of older people and at the end of life, particularly relating to sexual and gender identity and she is a recognized leader in this burgeoning research field.

Kathryn is currently Chief Investigator for the SCRiPT study (Enhancing research capacity in adult social care and social work in the East of England: testing the feasibility of Social Care Research in Practice Teams). She is the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) East of England Applied Research Collaboration (EOE ARC) lead for the National Priorities Programme for Adult Social Care and Social Work, leading work on one the Priority topics: Digital technologies to support well-being of community dwelling older adults in receipt of social care and their carers (the DiTSoW study).

Kathryn also leads the Ageing and Multi-morbidity theme for the NIHR ARC East of England. Current priorities for this theme include:

• Optimisation of medicines for people living with multiple health problems.
• Community engagement and support for people affected by dementia.
• Research with care homes.
• Research with assistive technology.

Kathryn is co-leading work packages relating to older LGBT people on a participatory multi-site research project, INCLUDEAGE, funded by the ESRC. The project will work with LGBT+ people and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to explore their everyday realities of negotiating inclusion in local and online communities, working towards co-developing solutions for inclusive communities.

Kathryn has a background of working in Local Authority and voluntary sectors as a Community Development and Policy Officer and she has an effective sustained track record of her research being used to shape and influence policy and professional practice and improving health, wellbeing and social care outcomes of the populations she works with.

Kathryn was a former convener of the British Sociological Association's Families and Relationships Study Group and she serves on editorial boards for the British Sociological Association's flagship journal Sociology and the journals Families, Relationships and Society and Mortality.

She is an experienced doctoral supervisor and welcomes expressions of interest from PhD applicants in line with her research interests (see under expertise).

Twitter: @KathrynAlmack  

Current grants:

Sixsmith, J, Fang, ML (PIs), Buell, S, Almack, K, Chadwick, D, Smith, M, Levey, S et al. INCLUDEAGE: Intersectional Perspectives for Community Inclusion: Understanding the Past and Shaping the Future with Older Marginalised IDD and LGBT+ People.

Almack, K (PI), Lynch, J, Mioshi, E, Littlechild, B, Yeung, E, Mioshi, E, Woolham, J, Moore, T, Greenlaw, C and Smith, A. Enhancing research capacity in adult social care and social work in the East of England: testing the feasibility of Research in Practice Teams (The SCRiPT study). National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research call. 

Almack, K (lead for NIHR East of England Applied Research Collaboration – EoE ARC) as part of the NIHR National Priority of Adult Social Care and Social Work consortium of nine ARC partners (led by Julien Forder, ARC Kent, Sussex & Surrey). 

• Sociology of family lives and other close relationships of care in people's lives
• Social care/informal care
• Palliative and end of life care
• LGBT family lives
• Kathryn has expertise in researching sensitive and ethically challenging topics and a range of qualitative methodologies.

• Theme Lead for the EoE ARC Ageing and Multi-Morbidity theme  from October 2022
• University of Hertfordshire representative on the NIHR ARC Capacity Building Committee
• Member of the Editorial Board for Sociology, 2016-2018, renewed 2019-2022
• Member of the Editorial Board for Mortality, 2019-22
• Member of a Public Health England and DHSC Bereavement Advisory Group
• Member of EAPC (European Association of Palliative Care) Taskforce - LGBT populations
• Member of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Peer Review College