Dr. McConnell is a faculty member of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland where she undertook her PhD. Dr Tracey McConnell has extensive experience of palliative care research. Her PhD focused on identifying the influences affecting the successful implementation and sustainability of the Liverpool Care Pathway in hospital settings. She has since published work on staff experience of providing end-of-life care to children and music therapy for improving the quality-of-life or palliative care patients. Since then she has also built upon her considerable skills and experience by working in Post-doctoral research positions in collaboration with national and international academic and voluntary sector partners. Tracey has also studied Mindfulness Based Practice, gaining a qualification to teach the art of mindfulness (Professional Certificate in the Therapeutic Use of Mindfulness, from The Institute of Integrative Counseling and Psychotherapy).

Dr. McConnell is interested in improving the quality of life of palliative care patients and their healthcare providers, along with improving palliative/end-of-life care education. Her research also involves the role of music therapy as a therapeutic option for a range of mental and physical health issues. She is keen on Realistic Evaluations and large scale randomised controlled trials. She is currently involved in a randomised controlled pilot and feasibility study along with conducting and publishing a number of systematic reviews and qualitative papers.