Meet The Team

Anna is Head of Rural Health and Care Wales, having commenced in post at the beginning of February 2017. Anna is a business post-graduate (BScEcon; MBA) who has recently submitted her PhD in Business and Management (Learning Networks and Knowledge Transfer in small Businesses). Anna has over 25 years senior managerial experience in private, public and third sector organisations, also having established a consultancy business that was recognised as one of Wales Top 100 start-up businesses in 2006. She is PRINCE2 accredited (Project Management) and holds a higher education teaching qualification, with experience of lecturing at FE and HE level. Prior to working for RHCW, Anna was manager of vocational learning across Ceredigion, working for the local authority. She has an avid interest in lifelong learning and continuous professional development and will be leading the research on education, training and CPD of health and social care professionals in rural areas. A fluent Welsh speaker, Anna was born and grew up in rural Mid Wales, being passionate about the area and its diverse and unique natural environment and culture.

Michelle joined RHCW in November 2022 as a Research and Development Officer. Michelle joined RHCW from Bronglais Hospital (Dyfi and Ystwyth Wards) where she worked as a Ward Clerk, and Family Liaison Officer, combining this patient focussed work with research support within the Social Policy Department of the University of Birmingham. Prior to this Michelle had worked as a Postgraduate and Research Administrator within the Computer Science, Physics and Maths Departments at Aberystwyth University. Her interests are around healthcare systems, patient experience specifically relating to Dementia, and the accessibility of healthcare provision within the Mid Wales region.

Mari joined RHCW in December 2023 as a Research and Development Officer. Mari joined as an Aberystwyth University graduate with an Undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Postgraduate degree in Behaviour Change. During her studies, Mari spent a summer working as a Project Support for the Coastal Uplands: Heritage and Tourism (CUPHAT) project with Aberystwyth University, where she was tasked to conduct research on the community life and culture in the Preseli Hills and Cambrian Mountains, to aid in populating the new CUPHAT website that attempts to attract more tourism to these areas. Growing up, Mari spent her weekends working for her family’s business, W.D. Lewis & Son (an agricultural merchant in Lampeter) and is since working there part-time alongside this role. These interactions with citizens from agricultural communities has led Mari to feel passionately about the well-being of those living in isolated rural areas in Wales, especially when concerning the mental health of farmers, and other individuals from the agricultural sector.