Dr Julie Wray

Nurse, Midwife and NHS Research Fellow

Julie has had 43 years experience of working as a nurse, midwife and research fellow in the NHS and in Higher Education as a senior lecturer in nursing. Julie is a strong advocate for patient and public involvement in healthcare provision, research and education. She led on involving family carers and patient perspectives in the nursing curriculum at the University of Salford. Julie was a journal editor for 5years, she has published a number of books and research papers related to women’s health and supporting families in healthcare and nurse education. She has worked nationally in roles with NICE, DH and CRUK. Julie was awarded a Florence Nightingale Scholarship in 2016 to explore ‘Families in Healthcare:  Danish and Spanish perspectives’.

Julie has experienced cancer twice (breast and bowel) and was motivated to volunteer with cancer charities and with research funders to give an authentic voice within their work programmes. At the same time she has sought to raise awareness of breast cancer to reach a diverse and inclusive audience through creative ways for example, Julie co-wrote a play to highlight breast screening and the impact of cancer upon peoples lives, performing to large and small audiences across England. This work was based on co-creation with people affected by cancer, but sadly was halted during Covid pandemic. Giving voice and listening to those affected by cancer is an important value that Julie holds dearly.