Annie Storkey started her nursing career aged 17 on a youth training scheme in a residential care home. She was a registered general nurse for over 20 years, working in general medicine and ophthalmology, where she developed autonomous nursing roles before becoming a lecturer practitioner. Since 2007 she has been an associate lecturer in health and social care at the Open University, with interests in disability and inclusive health policy. Annie has bipolar disorder and supports self-advocacy to empower people with mental health challenges to communicate their interests and needs; she is currently working towards a professional doctorate in education with the Open University, using participatory action research to explore how students with mental health challenges can be empowered to become independent learners.