Jen Brown

School of Medicine and Population Health

Senior Lecturer

j.v.brown@sheffield.ac.uk
Barber House

Full contact details

Jen Brown
School of Medicine and Population Health
Barber House
Sheffield
S10 2HQ
Profile

I am a Senior Lecturer specialising in the intersection of severe mental illness (SMI), physical health co-morbidities (including cancer), and health inequalities. My work focuses on closing the mortality gap for people living with SMI through the development and evaluation of complex interventions.

Currently, I lead a portfolio of work with a specific focus on diabetes management and the acceptability of digital health technologies for marginalised populations. I have a strong methodological interest in co-design and mixed-methods research, ensuring that patient voice drives clinical and service-level innovation.

Before joining TV in December 2025, I was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of York, having worked in the Department of Health Sciences and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. 

Qualifications

BA(Hons) Psychology (1st class), University of Strathclyde, 2010
MSc Health Psychology (Distinction), University of Stirling, 2011

Research interests

Health Inequalities: Addressing the physical health disparities faced by people with Severe Mental Illness (SMI).
Complex Interventions: Developing and evaluating behavioural interventions in the management of long-term conditions (specifically Diabetes & Cancer).
Methodological Innovation: Advanced application of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) in clinical trials.
Digital Health: Evaluating the real-world usability of sensor technology (e.g., Flash Glucose Monitoring) in diverse populations.

Publications

Journal articles

  • Ezaydi N, Kurien M, Allchin O, Biggs K, Chowdhury N, Humes D, Kellar I, Shanbhag S & Brown J (2026) . BMJ Open, 16(2).
  • Khan NA, Coventry PA, Ali H, Fulbright H & Brown JVE (2026) . BMJ Open, 16(2), e109567-e109567.
  • O’Carroll GC, Brown JVE, Carswell C, Peck C, Russell G, Ajjan RA, Boehnke JR, Coventry PA, Hadjiconstantinou M, Hewitt C , Holt RIG et al (2025) . BMJ Open, 15(3).
  • Carswell C, Brown JVE, Shiers D, Ajjan R, Balogun‐Katung A, Bellass S, Holt RIG, Jacobs R, Kellar I, Lewisohn C , Lister J et al (2024) . Health Expectations, 27(3), e14119.
  • Carswell C, Taylor J, Holt RIG, Brown JVE, Ajjan R, Böhnke JR, Doran T, Kellar I, Shiers D, Wright J & Siddiqi N (2024) . Diabetic Medicine, 41(4).
  • Carswell C, Coventry PA, Brown JVE, Alderson SL, Double K, Gilbody S, Holt RIG, Jacobs R, Lister J, Osborn D , Shiers D et al (2023) . Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25.
  • Rønne ST, Joensen LE, Zabell V, Arnfred SM, Brown JVE & Jørgensen R (2023) . International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 32(3), 893-903.
  • Brown JVE, Ajjan R, Alderson S, Böhnke JR, Carswell C, Doherty P, Double K, Gilbody S, Hadjiconstantinou M, Hewitt C , Holt RIG et al (2022) . SSM - Mental Health, 2, 100086-100086.
  • Raine G, Evans C, Uphoff EP, Brown JVE, Crampton PES, Kehoe A, Stewart LA, Finn GM & Morgan JE (2022) . BMJ Open, 12(9), e060281-e060281.
  • Carswell C, Brown JVE, Lister J, Ajjan RA, Alderson SL, Balogun-Katung A, Bellass S, Double K, Gilbody S, Hewitt CE , Holt RIG et al (2022) . BMC Psychiatry, 22(1).
  • Coventry PA, Brown JE, Pervin J, Brabyn S, Pateman R, Breedvelt J, Gilbody S, Stancliffe R, McEachan R & White PL (2021) . SSM - Population Health, 16, 100934-100934.
  • Carswell C, Brown J, Balogun A, Taylor J, Coventry P, Kitchen C, Kellar I, Peckham E, Bellass S, Alderson S , Lister J et al (2021) . BJPsych Open, 7(S1), S13-S13.
  • Brown JVE, Meader N, Wright K, Cleminson J & McGuire W (2020) . JAMA Pediatrics, 174(3), 260-260.
  • Brown JVE, Crampton PES, Finn GM & Morgan JE (2020) . Systematic Reviews, 9(1).
  • Meader N, King K, Llewellyn A, Norman G, Brown J, Rodgers M, Moe-Byrne T, Higgins JPT, Sowden A & Stewart G (2014) . Systematic Reviews, 3(1).
  • Rodgers MA, Brown JVE, Heirs MK, Higgins JPT, Mannion RJ, Simmonds MC & Stewart LA (2013) . BMJ, 346(jun20 1), f3981-f3981.
  • Simmonds MC, Brown JVE, Heirs MK, Higgins JPT, Mannion RJ, Rodgers MA & Stewart LA (2013) . Annals of Internal Medicine, 158(12), 877-889.
  • Brown JVE, Carswell C, Podmore D, Featherstone I, Alderson S, Böhnke JR, Doran T, Hadjiconstantinou M, Hewitt CE, Holt RIG , Jacobs R et al () . Frontiers in Health Services, 5.
  • Marino LV, Meyer R, Veale S & Brown JVE () . Dietetics, 4(2), 18-18.
  • Brown JVE, Ajjan R, Siddiqi N & Coventry PA () . Systematic Reviews, 11(1).
  • Akhter Z, Todowede O, Brown JVE, Jarde A, Mazhar L, narasimha VL, Muhammad S, Fazid S, Rehman K, Deshmukh C , Ayinla A et al () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022(8).
  • Afaq S, Uphoff E, Borle AL, Brown JVE, Coales K, Dawson S, Elduma AH, Iqbal M, Jarde A, Koly KN , Murthy NS et al () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021(11).
  • Balogun-Katung A, Carswell C, Brown JVE, Coventry P, Ajjan R, Alderson S, Bellass S, Boehnke JR, Holt R, Jacobs R , Kellar I et al () . PLOS ONE, 16(10), e0258937-e0258937.
  • Coventry PA, Young B, Balogun-Katang A, Taylor J, Brown JVE, Kitchen C, Kellar I, Peckham E, Bellass S, Wright J , Alderson S et al () . Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12.
  • Wilson CA, Robertson L, Brown JVE, Ayre K & Khalifeh H () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Brown JVE, Wilson CA, Ayre K, Robertson L, South E, Molyneaux E, Trevillion K, Howard LM & Khalifeh H () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021(2).
  • Walsh V, Brown JVE, Copperthwaite BR, Oddie SJ & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020(12).
  • Coventry PA, Meader N, Melton H, Temple M, Dale H, Wright K, Cloitre M, Karatzias T, Bisson J, Roberts NP , Brown JVE et al () . PLOS Medicine, 17(8), e1003262-e1003262.
  • Brown JVE, Lin L, Embleton ND, Harding JE & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020(7).
  • Brown JVE, Wilson CA, Ayre K, South E, Molyneaux E, Trevillion K, Howard LM & Khalifeh H () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Walsh V, Brown JVE, Copperthwaite BR, Oddie SJ & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Brown JVE, Walton N, Meader N, Todd A, Webster LAD, Steele R, Sampson SJ, Churchill R, McMillan D, Gilbody S & Ekers D () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Dennis C-L, Brown JVE & Brown HK () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Brown JVE, Walsh V & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Brown JVE, Walsh V & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Brown JVE, Walsh V & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Walsh V, Brown JVE, Askie LM, Embleton ND & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(8).
  • Walsh V, Brown JVE, Askie LM, Embleton ND & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Sampson SJ, Todd A, Walton N, Steele R, Webster L, Churchill R, McMillan D, Gilbody S & Ekers D () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Walsh V, Brown JVE & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Brown JVE, Meader N, Cleminson J & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019(2).
  • Moe-Byrne T, Brown JVE & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018(10).
  • Brown JVE, Embleton ND, Harding JE & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Moe-Byrne T, Brown JVE & McGuire W () .
  • Brown JVE, Meader N, Cleminson J & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Moe-Byrne T, Brown JVE & McGuire W () .
  • Brown JVE, Moe-Byrne T & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014(12).
  • Moe-Byrne T, Brown JVE & McGuire W () . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  • Brown JVE, Moe-Byrne T, Harden M & McGuire W () . PLoS ONE, 7(12), e52033-e52033.
  • Wagner JVE, Moe-Byrne T, Grover Z & McGuire W () .
  • Moe-Byrne T, Wagner JVE & McGuire W () .

Conference proceedings

  • Brown JVE, Coventry PA, Siddiqi N & Ajjan RA (2023) Acceptability and feasibility of CGM for people with severe mental illness: a mixed-methods study. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 66(SUPPL 1) (pp S62-S62)
  • Carswell C, Brown JVE, Balogun-Katung A, Taylor J, Coventry PA, Kitchen C, Kellar I, Bellass S, Wright J, Alderson S , Lister J et al (2021) A qualitative evidence synthesis exploring the determinants of self-management in adults with severe mental illness. DIABETOLOGIA, Vol. 64(SUPPL 1) (pp 278-278)

Preprints

  • Brown JVE, Ajjan R, Siddiqi N, Kellar I & Coventry PA (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Carswell C, Coventry PA, Brown JVE, Alderson SL, Double K, Gilbody S, Holt RIG, Jacobs R, Lister J, Osborn D , Shiers D et al (2022) , JMIR Publications Inc..
  • Brown JVE, Ajjan R, Siddiqi N & Coventry PA (2022) , Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
  • Brown JVE, Ajjan R, Alderson S, Böhnke JR, Carswell C, Doherty P, Double K, Gilbody S, Hadjiconstantinou M, Hewitt C , Holt RIG et al (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Grants

Ongoing projects
Participatory Research for Optimising Faecal Immunochemical Test (PRO-FIT) returns, enhancing bowel cancer detection and addressing health inequalities (NIHR 208910) - co-investigator and co-production lead

Whole-system Adaptation for Resilient Mental Health (WARM): Building a cross-sector collaborative (NIHR 506614) - co-investigator and lead for community partnerships

Completed projects (selected)
Addressing health inequalities through translation - Exploring Urdu-language delivery of the DIAMONDS self-management intervention to people from South Asian communities who have severe mental illness and type 2 diabetes ("DIAMONDS URDU"; NIHR 206939) - chief investigator

Teaching interests

I am available to supervise student projects that align with my research interests and methodological expertise, including systematic reviews/evidence synthesis.

Professional activities and memberships

UK Society for Behavioural Medicine (UKSBM), Chief Operating Officer, March 2025 to date
International Behavioural Trials Network (IBTN), Summer School Group Lead and Member of the Organising Committee, 2023 to date