Professor Lisa Jones
MBChB Student Support & Guidance Lead, Psychology Subject Lead, Professor of Psychological Medicine
MBChB
Mood Disorders Research Group
email: lisa.jones@worc.ac.uk
Lisa Jones is Professor of Psychological Medicine and leads the Mood Disorders Research Group. She has been researching the causes of major mental illnesses for over 25 years.
Lisa qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Manchester in 1993. She went on to work as a Research Associate in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Wales College of Medicine (now part of Cardiff University). She commenced her PhD in Psychiatric Genetics in 1995 within the same department, and this was awarded in 1999 when she continued her work at Cardiff as a post-doctoral researcher. She moved to the University of Birmingham as a Lecturer in Psychiatry in 2000, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2005. In October 2015 she took up a new Chair in Psychological Medicine at the University of Worcester.
Qualifications
PhD Psychiatric Genetics - University of Wales College of Medicine.
BSc (Hons) Psychology - University of Manchester.
Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - University of Birmingham.
Research
Lisa leads the Mood Disorders Research Group The broad aims of the group are to investigate genetic and other factors that may contribute to the aetiology and course of bipolar disorder and related mood and psychotic illnesses, such as schizoaffective disorder and postpartum psychosis.
Lisa founded and leads the UK Bipolar Disorder Research Network (BDRN) in collaboration with colleagues at Cardiff University. With funding from two of the world’s leading medical research charities, the Wellcome Trust and the Stanley Medical Research Institute, BDRN is recruiting one of the largest research samples of individuals with bipolar disorder in the world (currently, 7000+ and counting).
Teaching
Lisa has been teaching in higher education for more than 25 years. She has wide experience of programme/module design and leadership, teaching, examination, and research supervision at undergraduate and postgraduate level to students of both science and medicine. She won both the Head of School’s Prize and Head of College’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2010, and in 2015 she won the Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Medical & Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
Lisa is currently a member of the project group developing the Three Counties Medical School at the University of Worcester.
Postgraduate supervision
Lisa has successfully supervised many PhD students to completion.
Her current PhD students include:
Emma Tickle, Examining the prevalence, clinical correlates and perceived impact of a borderline personality disorder diagnosis in individuals with bipolar disorder in the UK.
Krisztina Easton, Autism spectrum conditions in bipolar disorder.
Alice Clements, Perinatal mood in men who have bipolar disorder.
Some of Lisa’s recent PhD graduates are:
Dr Gemma McCullough - Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and mood symptoms, in people living with bipolar disorder. https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/11413/
Dr Joanne Johnson - Understanding perinatal mental healthcare referral decisions among midwives and health visitors. https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/11553/
Dr Amy Perry - Investigating risk factors for postpartum psychosis in bipolar disorder. https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/9929/
Memberships
Bipolar Disorder Research Network
British Psychological Society
International Society for Bipolar Disorders
International Society of Psychiatric Genetics
Psychiatric Genetics Consortium
International Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health
External Responsibilities
Lisa has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences. She regularly presents to healthcare professionals and patient support groups.
She presented at the Hay Festival in 2016: Exploring the poles: in search of a deeper understanding of bipolar disorder.
She is Associate Editor for the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry: Mood and Anxiety Disorders, and regularly peer reviews manuscripts for many journals including: American Journal of Psychiatry; British Journal of Psychiatry; Bipolar Disorders; Psychiatry Research; Journal of Affective Disorders.
Lisa has peer reviewed research funding applications for numerous bodies including: Wellcome Trust; Medical Research Council (MRC); Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC); Department of Health; Cancer Research UK.
Recent External Examinerships (undergraduate):
MBChB, Newcastle University (2019-2022).
BMedSci/MB BS, University of Nottingham (2015-2019).
MBChB, University of Manchester (2011-2015).