Dr Laura Jones BSc (Hons), DPS, PhD, PCAP, FHEA

• PGCert Academic Practice, University of Birmingham, 2016
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2015
• PhD Human Sciences, Loughborough University, 2008
• BSc (Hons) Human Biology with Diploma in Professional Studies, Loughborough University, 2004 

Laura qualified with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Human Biology with a diploma in professional studies from Loughborough University in 2004, staying on to successfully gain her mixed-methods PhD in 2008. With funding from the Child Growth Foundation, Laura’s PhD explored how early childhood events affect the timing and duration of puberty and subsequent propensity for risky behaviours in South African adolescents. Laura’s first post-doctoral position at Loughborough University investigated the determinants of childhood and adolescent obesity using data from a number of large birth cohort dataset.

In early 2009, Laura moved to the University of Nottingham to take up a UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS) Research Fellowship and later (2012) a Senior Research Fellow position. Whilst at Nottingham, Laura was involved in a variety of mixed-methods tobacco control work and established significant expertise in harm reduction, specifically in secondhand smoke and smoke-free environments. Most notably, she lead the development and testing of a complex intervention to help protect disadvantaged children from the harms of secondhand smoke at home, which was found to be clinically and cost-effective.

In April 2013, Laura moved to the University of Birmingham to take up a Lectureship in Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Applied Health Research and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2018.  Since arriving in Birmingham, Laura has continued to build her research profile, with an increasing focus on women’s and maternal health projects. In particular, she is focussing on service provision for women who have experienced gender based violence. Since 2010, Laura has generated a substantial research income of £10.75 million (including £690k as chief investigator), published more than 50 papers, reports and book chapters and is a sought after methodological collaborator.

In addition to her research, Laura is also well respected teacher and is actively involved in developing the skills of others via mentoring and delivery of Introduction to Teaching and Learning sessions across the University. During her PGCert in Academic Practice (Distinction), she was awarded two teaching related prizes by the University of Birmingham. The first was for her commitment to and demonstration of effective academic practice and the second was for her outstanding contribution to the PGCert Academic Practice Programme.

• Medicine and Surgery MBChB
• MSc Public Health
• MRes Clinical Health Research
• Intercalation POSH BMedSci
• Introduction to Learning and Teaching, HEFI

Laura has supervised four doctoral research students to completion and is currently supervising five others. Their projects, using qualitative and mixed-methods, focus on maternal health in low resource settings, men’s experience of pregnancy loss, and protecting children from secondhand smoke in UK primary and secondary care.

Laura is interested in supervising further doctoral research students who are planning to use qualitative or mixed methods within their research. Projects should focus on questions relating to women’s health, maternal health and/or maternity care research. She is particularly interested in supervising post graduate students who would like to undertake a PhD around female genital mutilation and gender based violence. 

If you are interested in studying any of these subject areas please contact Laura directly, or 
for any general doctoral research enquiries, please email mds-gradschool@contacts.bham.ac.uk

For a full list of available Doctoral Research opportunities, please visit our Doctoral Research programme listings 

Core Research Themes

Female genital mutilation; maternal and women’s health; qualitative research in clinical trials; tobacco control; other

Current Research Activities (selected)

Female Genital Mutilation

Laura is the chief investigator of the FGM Sister Study (@FGMSisterStudy). The FGM Sister Study is one of the largest cross-culture and cross-language in depth qualitative studies of female genital mutilation in the UK. The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), explores female genital mutilation-survivors’, their male partners’ and healthcare professionals’ preferences for the timing of deinfibulation (opening surgery) and their views on how NHS services can best be delivered to meet the needs of female genital mutilation-survivors and their families.

Maternal and Women’s Health Trials

Laura leads the qualitative phases of several large clinical trials including: (1) a randomised trial of mifepristone and misoprostol alone in the medical management of missed miscarriage (MIFEMISO); (2) Emergency cervical cerclage to prevent miscarriage and preterm birth (C-STICH2). She is also leading the qualitative research in two further maternal woman’s health trials which have recently been funded and are due to start in 2020. 

Previous Research Activities (selected)

Tobacco Control

Laura has led a programme of research exploring ways to reduce disadvantaged children’s exposure to secondhand smoke in the home. To date, this has involved three qualitative studies with disadvantaged families and healthcare professionals and the subsequent development and testing of a complex intervention that was shown to be clinically and cost-effective. This five year project had a budget of nearly £1 million.

Other tobacco and vaping related research that Laura has been involved in (as principle and co-investigator) includes: (1) a CRUK funded exploration of parents views and experiences of vaping in the home to protect children from exposure to secondhand smoke (PPEC Study); (2) a CRUK funded exploration to understand the nature and drivers of dual use of electronic and tobacco cigarettes (Dual User Study); (3) a systematic qualitative evidence synthesis of the barriers to and enablers of smoke-free homes; (4) evaluating a mobile Stop Smoking Service; (5) the development and evaluation of a novel intervention providing insight into the tobacco industry to prevent the uptake of smoking in school-aged children; (6) preventing uptake and promoting cessation of smoking in Ghana: the role of pictorial or text health warnings, and conventional or generic packaging, for cigarette packs; (7) action research: smoking in a disadvantaged community in Nottingham and (8) a mapping review of global car smoking laws.

Other

Previous projects including feasibility studies or qualitative research within a clinical trial: (1) Healthy Dads: Healthy Kids - a cultural adaptation and feasibility study of a weight management programme for fathers of younger children (HDHK), (2) pressure garment therapy to prevent or reduce abnormal scarring following serious burn injury (PEGASUS); (3) complex, simple or absent wound dressings in elective surgery (Bluebelle), and (4) undertaking appendicectomy to impact upon the clinical course of ulcerative colitis (ACCURE).

Academic Support & Teaching

Academic consultant for the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (2011 to present)

Academic advisor for the Department of Health and for several English Primary Care Trust (PCT) led smoke-free family initiatives (including NHS Lincolnshire, Derbyshire City and County, Nottingham City and County) (2009 to present)

Teacher on UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies Continued Professional Development courses for Healthcare Professionals working in tobacco control

Grants

Jones LL, Longman J, Passey M and Mathers J. Protecting children from exposure to secondhand smoke at home: synthesising the international qualitative evidence of the facilitators and barriers to creating smoke-free homes. Wellcome Trust ISSF Mobility Scholarship, £3690 (Awarded March 2014)

Moiemen  N, Deeks J, Dziewulski P, Dickinson W, Wilson Y, Jones LL, Mathers J, Frew E, Kinghorn P, Bishop J, Mackie I, Dheansa B, Shah M, Jeffery S, Sadideen H, Calvert M, Doyle K, Gardiner F, and Whiting K. A study to assess feasibility of a randomised multi-centre clinical trial in children and adults, to examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of pressure garments to improve scarring. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment, £534,069 (Awarded December 2013)

Rick C, Jenkinson C, Pall H, Ives N, Wheatley K, Jones LL and Mathers J. Understanding how coping mechanisms/accommodation and anosognosia affect the assessment of quality of life for people with a chronic condition (Parkinson’s disease) MRC Midland Hub for Trials Methodology Research, £43599 (Awarded June 2013)

Coleman T, Orton S, Jones LL and Cooper S. Smoking in the home after childbirth: prevalence, determinants and the relationship to smoking in pregnancy National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research PhD Studentship: £85260 (Awarded September 2012)

Szatkowski L, Lewis S, McNeill A, Britton J, Jones LL, Bains M, Docherty G, Bauld L, Parrott S, Fairs-Billam T and Letniowski T. “Development and evaluation of a novel intervention providing insight into the tobacco industry to prevent the uptake of smoking in school-aged children”.  National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme, £710,751 (Awarded July 2012)

Owusu-Dabo E, Singh A, Owusuaa Amartey A, Jones LL, Munafò M and Britton J. “Preventing uptake and promoting cessation of smoking in Ghana: the role of pictorial or text health warnings, and conventional or generic packaging, for cigarette packs” Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland: Links with Developing Countries Scheme 2011, £9900. (Awarded April 2012)

McNeill A, Jones LL, Sendzik T, Fong G and Bauld L. “Mapping review of global car smoking laws” Department of Health, £27,987. (Awarded March 2012)

McEwen A, Amos A, Robinson J, Jones LL and Streets E. “Tobacco control health inequalities pilot on children’s centre workforces and smoking cessation services” Department of Health, £186,192 (Awarded March 2010)

Britton J, De Gruchy J, McNeill A, Lewis S, Venn A, McKeever T, Hari I, Leonardi-Bee J, Murray R,  Coleman T, Smyth A, Godfrey C, Parrot S, Jones LL, Hubbard R and Sherwood W. “Smoking: new approaches to cessation service delivery, prevention of passive smoke exposure in children, and healthcare cost estimation” National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) programme grants for applied research, £1,972,426 (Awarded October 2009)

Travel Grants

Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Europe Travel Award, €1000, Awarded March 2013

Awards

Parental and household smoking and the increased risk of bronchitis, bronchiolitis and other lower respiratory infections in infancy: systematic review and meta-analysis paper: General Medicine Award Runner Up, 6th Annual Biomed Central Research Awards (2012)

Loughborough University Graduate Student of the Year Award. Faculty of Science Graduate School Research Prize for outstanding academic performance and achievements (2008)

Society Membership

Member of Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) (2013 to present)

Committee member of Society for Study of Human Biology (SSHB) (2011 to present)

Member and previous fellowship holder of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS) (2009 to present)