As a senior palliative care doctor and researcher, I directly care for those with head and neck cancer. This type of cancer can affect an individual's ability to eat, speak and breathe, as well as causing pain, disfigurement and social isolation. It also impacts on family and friends who support and care for these individuals.

My specific aims within the Fellowship are to learn about the challenges facing people affected by head and neck cancer on a wider, global scale and the different institutional, cultural and societal factors helping overcome these challenges. I also explore specific facilitators and barriers to both providing good emotional and social support for those living in poorer areas, and to giving information about palliative care to those who may have difficulty reading or writing.

Travel to different parts of India and the Netherlands enables me to learn more about these aspects from a variety of sources including patients and families affected by head and neck cancer, healthcare workers such as doctors, nurses, speech therapists and psychologists, and volunteers and support groups.