Ruth is Professor of Learning Disability Nursing, Head of Research for the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, and has led UDIDD since its inception in 2002. 

Ruth teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate nursing and supervises postgraduate research students. She welcomes applications for PhD or Masters by Research study in one of her areas of expertise.

Her interests include the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities, safeguarding, the use of inclusive research approaches, ethics and professional issues in learning disability nursing. She has researched and published in each of these areas.

Professor Northway was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to Learning Disability Nursing, followed by Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2018 from both and the Nursing Times and RCN Wales. 

Ruth Northway holds numerous positions related to her field. These include membership of the UK Steering Group for Strengthening the Commitment; co-chair of the Welsh Government Learning Disability Advisory Group and co-chair of the Ethics Special Interest Research Group for the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.