Personal Statement
Current Post: Senior Lecturer & Research and Development Lead, Palliative Care Unit, University of Liverpool; Programme Lead for Palliative Care, Postgraduate Department, University of Liverpool Medical School.

Roles & Responsibilities: As Research and Development Lead within the Palliative Care Unit, I support the wider team of Honorary Clinical Lecturers, Academic Clinical Lecturers/Fellows, and Research Fellows/Assistants in writing and submitting grant applications; prepare annual reports/reports for funders; oversee applications for ethics and RD approval, and participate as a strategic lead in the Unit Management Group. The unit has a successful track record in securing significant research funding, with over £5.6 million in awards from the European Union, National Cancer Research Institute, the National Institute for Health Research, Marie Curie Cancer Care/Cancer Research UK Awards, and Marie Curie Cancer Care/Dimbleby Cancer Care, regional strategic health organisations and the University of Liverpool. Additionally, the Unit has published 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals including PLoS Medicine, the BMJ, BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, Pain & Symptom Management, Palliative Medicine, Supportive Care in Cancer, British Journal of Cancer, Clinical Teacher, and the European Journal of Palliative Care.

Within the Postgraduate Medical School I lead the MSc in Palliative and End of Life Care, and the suite of Research Methods Modules. This MSc is multi-professional and multidisciplinary in focus, engaging core training in Palliative Care, End of Life Care, Applied Ethics, and Research for Clinical Practice.

Research Overview
Dr Stephen Mason is Senior Lecturer and Research & Development Lead at the University of Liverpool’s Palliative Care Unit. His research advances evidence-based practice in palliative and end-of-life care, focusing on service delivery, communication, and decision-making for patients and families. Recent work includes scoping reviews on home-based palliative care and its impact on informal carers, and studies exploring bereavement experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also investigates educational strategies for improving palliative care training across Europe, mentoring frameworks, and psychosocial approaches to care. Dr Mason leads the MSc in Palliative and End-of-Life Care and contributes to international initiatives shaping medical education. His goal is to enhance quality, equity, and sustainability in palliative care provision.