Professor Lisa Jones
Professor of Psychological Medicine; MPhil/PhD Course Lead for Three Counties Medical School; MBChB Student Support & Guidance Lead, Psychology Subject Lead and Research Methods Subject Lead
MBChB
Email: lisa.jones@worc.ac.uk
Lisa Jones is Professor of Psychological Medicine. She has been researching the causes of major mental illnesses and teaching in higher education for over 30 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 Medical School at the University of Birmingham as 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
The broad aim of Lisa's research is to investigate the aetiology and course of bipolar disorder and related mood and psychotic illnesses, such as schizoaffective disorder and postpartum psychosis.
Lisa founded 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 has recruited one of the largest active research samples of individuals with bipolar disorder in the world (7500 individuals from throughout the UK).
Lisa is an experienced research leader and chief investigator. She has led Mood Disorders Research Groups at the Universities of Birmingham and Worcester since 2002.
Lisa also has research expertise in medical education, particularly medical student wellbeing and achievement. She is interested in the effectiveness of learning and teaching behavioural science in the clinical context, and learning and teaching about mental health and mental illness.
Teaching
Lisa has wide experience of programme/module design and leadership, teaching, examination, and research supervision at undergraduate and postgraduate level to students of both medicine and science. She won the Head of School’s Prize and Head of College’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 2010, and she twice won the Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Medical & Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham (2010 and 2015).
Lisa was a member of the project group that developed the new MBChB degree and the Three Counties Medical School at the University of Worcester.
Postgraduate supervision
Lisa is the MPhil/PhD Course Lead in the Three Counties Medical School. Course details here:
MPhil/PhD in Medical Sciences: https://www.worcester.ac.uk/courses/medical-sciences-mphilphd
MPhil/PhD in Medical Education: https://www.worcester.ac.uk/courses/medical-education-mphilphd
Lisa has successfully supervised many PhD students to completion.
Her current PhD students include:
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 Emma Tickle - Borderline personality disorder among individuals with bipolar disorder: Prevalence, correlates, and experiences of the comorbid diagnosis. https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/12476/
Dr Amy Perry - Investigating risk factors for postpartum psychosis in bipolar disorder. https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/9929/
Memberships
Association for the Study of Medical Education
Bipolar Disorder Research Network
British Psychological Society
Global Bipolar Cohort
International Society for Bipolar Disorders
International Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health
International Society of Psychiatric Genetics
Psychiatric Genetics Consortium
External Responsibilities
Lisa has presented her research and chaired symposia at numerous national and international conferences. She also 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 was Topic Editor for Women in Psychiatry (2021-2023). She 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.
She regularly externally examines PhDs in the UK and internationally. Her recent undergraduate External Examinerships include:
MBChB, Newcastle University (2019-2023).
BMedSci/MB BS, University of Nottingham (2015-2019).
MBChB, University of Manchester (2011-2015).