Dr Heaslip is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Nursing Science at Bournemouth University. She has extensive experience in nursing and nurse education. Her research interests are in social exclusion and vulnerable groups in society whose voices are not traditionally heard in the academic and professional discourse. In particular, she is interested in marginalised communities who experience inequity. Dr Heaslip has numerous publications, including book contributions, journal articles (professional and peer reviewed), editorials and discussion papers; see http://staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk/display/vheaslip. She has previously worked on the national Mary Seacole Awards and Supporting Professionalism in Admissions. She has also received numerous awards and prizes, including the BU Postgraduate Research Prize (2015), Florence Nightingale Travel Scholarship (2016) and a Women of the Year (2019) in recognition of her work on diversity.