Professor Kelly’s main research interests are in the areas of disability studies and children living in and leaving care. She also has an active interest in participatory research including the co-production of research with youth leaving care and disabled people.    

Professor Kelly is Director of the Centre for Inclusion, Transformation and Equality (CITE) at QUB which engages in critical research focused on issues of inequality and social justice across policy and practice contexts. The Centre also hosts a special interest group on disability research.

Professor Kelly has conducted major studies on the experiences of disabled children and youth living in and leaving care, safeguarding disabled children and adults, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on youth leaving care. More recently, she led on a four-country study of care-leaving in Africa.  She is currently working with colleagues on a project connecting care leavers in Northern Ireland and South Africa and is supervising PhD research on a range of topics including: supporting migrant families with disabled children; disabled children’s experience of domestic violence; disabled care leavers in South Africa; and personalised support for disabled young adults with complex needs. She is open to supervising further PhD research in the fields of care leaving and disability research.