Dr Nicola Brennan is an internationally recognised expert in medical education and healthcare workforce research. She is Co-Director of the Centre for Applied Medical Education and Healthcare Workforce Research (CAMERa) within the Faculty of Health, at the University of Plymouth. The centre is dedicated to advancing the development and sustainability of the healthcare workforce through high-quality research with a particular focus on the training and retention of healthcare professionals.  

Dr Brennan has spearheaded the RESTORE (Realist evaluations of professional support and remediation) programme of research, a major interdisciplinary research initiative comprising five funded studies. This body of work focuses on optimising the delivery of professional support and remediation for healthcare professionals across specialties and career stages, generating evidence-based recommendations to enhance practice. 

As Principal Investigator, she has secured over £1.9 million in research funding. Her research interests include the professional support and remediation of doctors, the migration and career progression of international medical graduates, and medical graduates’ preparedness for practice. She is highly experienced in a range of research methodologies, including systematic reviews, realist reviews, and realist evaluations.