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About

Sheila Ali is a prominent nursing and health sciences researcher whose work sits at the intersection of assistive robotics, healthcare workforce development, and social care innovation. With a particular focus on socially assistive humanoid robots, Ali has made significant contributions to understanding how these emerging technologies can be integrated into health and social care settings, especially in addressing the mounting challenges posed by ageing populations globally. Her most cited work, a 2020 systematic review with over 200 citations, rigorously mapped the enablers and barriers to implementing humanoid robots in care environments, providing a foundational evidence base for policymakers and practitioners alike. This was complemented by a highly regarded 2018 scoping review (96 citations) examining the perspectives of nurses and care workers on assistive robots — one of the first studies to centre frontline workforce voices in this debate. Ali's more recent research has extended into cross-cultural dimensions of robot acceptance and professional training needs, reflecting a sophisticated understanding that technology adoption is shaped as much by culture and education as by the technology itself. Through her body of work, totalling nearly 400 citations, Ali has established herself as a leading voice in the ethical and practical integration of robotics into modern caregiving.