Her interest in this area dates back to 2002 when she was involved in conducting a palliative care needs assessment, noting in particular the fear and stigma associated with palliative care. In 2005 she secured the Health Research Board / Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) Building Partnerships for a Healthier Society Research Award to further investigate attitudes toward palliative care, a study that subsequently formed the basis of a PhD in Psychology, awarded by Maynooth University (MU) under the supervision of Dr Sinead McGilloway. This research, together with Kathleen’s passion for health promoting palliative care, served as the catalyst to the development of Ireland’s first Compassionate Communities project at Milford Care Centre (MCC).