Dr Zena Aldridge
Nursing and midwifery associate director for social care, National Institute for Health and Care Research
Zena is a clinical academic whose career in health and social care has spanned across four decades, initially in domiciliary care and then as a nursing auxiliary in acute and community settings, before undertaking her mental health nurse training.
Zena completed a Master’s degree in Mental Health in 2013 and a PhD in Nursing Studies in 2022.
Alongside her role as Associate Director of Social Care, Zena continues to develop her own research career having been awarded an NIHR Senior Clinical Practitioner Research Award in 2025.
Zena's specialist interests include the care of older people, dementia care, palliative and end of life care, continence management, case management, biopsychosocial care, social care nursing as well service integration and quality improvement. Zena is a published author of multiple journal articles and contributor to several books.
Given her various areas of interest, skills and experience Zena retains a portfolio of clinical, research and leadership activities at regional and national level and is in the consultant editor for RCN Nursing Older People.