Professor Annie Topping

Professor Annie Topping

School of Nursing and Midwifery
Professor in Nursing

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 415 1990
Email
a.e.topping@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@ProfAnnieT
View my research portal
Address
College of Medicine and Health
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Annie Topping is a nurse scientist and educator specialising in improving care outcomes. She is Professor of Nursing in partnership with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.  Where she works with a team developing research workforce capability and capacity across the nursing, midwifery and allied professions workforce.  

Qualifications

  • Professor in Nursing
  • PhD in Health & Social Care Research, University of Huddersfield, 2001
  • Fellow of the Higher Education, 2012 Academy
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of Huddersfield, 1997
  • BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies, University of Surrey, 1987
  • Registered General Nursing, Royal Free Hospital, London

Teaching

Postgraduate supervision

Professor Topping is happy to supervise doctoral research on:

  • Qualitative and mixed methods health service research
  • Improving patient experience and health and social care delivery
  • Workforce roles, capacity and capability
  • Cancer and supportive care
  • Education practice pedagogy – learning

Research

Research interests

Primary focus is improving patient experience and care through clinical research and improvement, roles and care delivery, and education. Predominantly in cancer and supportive care and women’s health.

Current projects

  •  Achieving closure – improving outcomes when care homes close
  •  Creating a natiOnAL CNS pancrEatic cancer network to Standardise and improve CarE (COALESCE) @COALESCE_panc
  •  Nurses Thriving at Work (Universitas 21 project) with Jacobs (Auckland), Ferrer (Chile) Lewis (Queensland) Cavanagh (UC-Davis).

Other activities

Professor Topping is an experienced nurse, health services researcher and educator. She has worked at various UK universities including Huddersfield (Professor of Nursing), Bradford (Head of Nursing) and Leeds (Senior Lecturer), she has also held a number of executive roles in the UK and Middle East at Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar and Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary-Qatar (2013- 2017). She was recently Head of School of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Birmingham 2020-2023.

Currently

 Editorial Board Memberships

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Barrett, J, Topping, AE, Ntoumanis, N, Turner, AM, White, H & Fenton, SAM 2026, 'Development of a Cystic Fibrosis Weight Management Programme: protocol for a co-design study', NIHR Open Research, vol. 2026, no. 6, 7. https://doi.org/10.3310/nihropenres.14190.2

Glasby, J, Allen, K, Bennett, M, Douglass, T, Iqbal, A, Kinghorn, P, Needham, C, Plappert, H, Roberts, T, Skrybant, M, Smith, D, Tanner, D, Taylor, B, Topping, A, Ward, L & Zafar, S 2026, 'Improving outcomes when care homes close: NIHR Programme Grant multi-methods study', Programme Grants for Applied Research, vol. 14, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.3310/GJJG3821

Jacobs, S, Moloney, W, Terry, D, Lewis, PA, Topping, A, Gonzalez Aguero, M & Cavanagh, S 2025, 'Creating Organisational Working Conditions Where Nurses Can Thrive: An International Action Research Study', Nursing Reports , vol. 15, no. 3, 95. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15030095

Liu, H, Topping, A & Guo, P 2025, 'Intergenerational engagement among older people in the long-term care facility in China: a mixed methods study protocol', BMJ Open, vol. 15, no. 8, e104211. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-104211

Liu, H, Topping, A & Guo, P 2025, 'Patient and public involvement in action: shaping an intergenerational engagement intervention in a long-term care facility in China', Health Expectations, vol. 28, no. 5, e70451. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70451

Sutton, E, Rahman, U, Reilly, H, Miller, CA, Vedutla, T, Melody, T, Gudivad, R & Topping, A 2025, 'Understanding re admission after hip fracture: a mixed methods study protocol', BMJ Open, vol. 15, e094163. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-094163

Channa, S, Topping, A, Willis, C, Melody, T & Pearce, R 2024, 'Clinical learning experiences of healthcare professional students in a student-led clinical learning environment (SLCLE) – A mixed methods evaluation', Nurse Education in Practice, vol. 79, 104035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2024.104035

Criseno, S, Gleeson, H, Toogood, AA, Gittoes, N, Topping, A & Karavitaki, N 2024, 'Discontinuation of long-term growth hormone treatment in adults with growth hormone deficiency: a survey of UK practice', Endocrine Connections, vol. 13, no. 5, e230533. https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-23-0533

Fernandes, M, Rathinam, C & Topping, AE 2024, 'Parents' experience of children with acquired brain injury undergoing neurorehabilitation: a systematic review', BMJ Paediatrics Open, vol. 8, no. 1, e002288. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002288

Pettitt, NJ, Petrella, AR, Neilson, S, Topping, A & Taylor, RM 2024, 'Psychosocial and Support Needs of the Main Caregiver for Adolescents and Young Adults Undergoing Treatment for Cancer', Cancer Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0000000000001352

Turner, S, Littlemore, J, Parr, E, Taylor, J & Topping, A 2023, '‘Lights in the darkness’, Part 1: characterising effective communication with healthcare practitioners following the death of a child', Mortality, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 627-644. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2022.2081495

Abstract

Liu, H, Topping, A & Guo, P 2024, 'Intergenerational engagement with Asian residents in long-term care facilities: A mixed methods systematic review', Palliative Medicine, vol. 38, no. 1_suppl, pp. 183-184. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163241242338

Comment/debate

Topping, A 2025, 'Commentary: Fatigue and health-related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis', Journal of Research in Nursing, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 155-156. https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871251321103

Review article

Bates, R, Bailey, C & Topping, A 2024, 'Barriers and facilitators to w eight-loss in patients with overweight/obesity and cardiac disease: a realist qualitative synthesis', International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, vol. 19, no. 1, 2419574. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2419574

Liu, H, Topping, A & Guo, P 2024, 'Intergenerational engagement with Asian residents in long-term care facilities: a mixed method systematic review', Frontiers in public health, vol. 12, 1422134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1422134

View all publications in research portal