Julia Jones is Professor of Public Involvement and Health in the Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care (CRIPACC) in the School of Health and Social Work.  Julia leads the  Public Involvement and Engagement in Health and Care research unit in CRIPACC and chairs the Public Involvement in Research group (PIRg) and the Service User and Carer Core Group (SUPI) which co-ordinates user and carer involvement across the School of Health and Social Work. Julia is a health geographer by background and her PhD research explored the geography of mental health reforms in Britain and Italy. She returned to Italy 2003-2005 with a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship hosted by the University of Verona, Italy.  Julia then worked at City, University of London from 2005-2016 in a number of mental health research and lecturing roles before moving to the University of Hertfordshire in 2016.  Currently, Julia is Co-Chief Investigator of the NIHR funded Public Health Interventions Responsive Team (PHIRST) CONNECT, based at the University of Hertfordshire.  She is co-lead of a NIHR funded Programme Development Grant to explore the use of creative methods with people with learning disabilities and/or autism. She is co-applicant and public involvement lead for two NIHR funded studies in mental health: the READY Trial, a RCT of the effectiveness of physical exercise for young people with depression; and the MINDS study, coproducing improved mental health acute inpatient discharge using a systems approach.  She is a co-applicant of a project funded by Kidney Research UK called 'MOODMAPS' - A national study of practice patterns in renal services in the identification and management of depression in people with chronic kidney disease.  Julia has expertise in qualitative and mixed research methods and public involvement and engagement in research. Julia is an experienced PhD supervisor and examiner, with six doctoral student completions and four current doctoral students undertaking mixed methods and qualitative research studies.

Current research interests include:

• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in health and social care research
• The mental health of children and young people
• The physical health of people with mental health problems
• Psychosocial support for people with kidney disease and their carers/family members

Teaching experience includes:

• Qualitative and mixed methods research
• Conducting research on sensitive topics
• Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research
• PhD supervision

Julia leads public engagement and involvement activities in research, learning and teaching across the School of Health and Social Work in collaboration with service users and carers through the Service User and Public Involvement Group (SUPI).  The School of Health and Social Work  has strong partnerships with local community groups and organisations such as East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Hertfordshire Healthwatch, Hertfordshire County Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Carers in Hertfordshire and Live Life, a charity for young people with experience of homelessness.