Senior Lecturer in Psychology
I graduated from St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College in 1992 after taking an intercalated BSc in Infection and Immunity at Imperial College.
I initially pursued a career as a medical microbiologist and worked as a specialist registrar until 2000. After a career break, I changed direction and took a postgraduate conversion course at University of Sunderland where I stayed on as a research student in computational and neural network modelling before becoming a full-time Senior Lecturer in Psychology.
In addition to a background as a cognitive psychologist, I have a major specialism in research methods and statistical analysis including analysis of health and medical related data and the design and evaluation of projects involving health improvement and innovation and in enhancing collaborative working with health professionals.
I am currently a Research and Knowledge Exchange Fellow working across the School of Psychology, the Helen McArdle Nursing and Research Care Institute and Sunderland City Council and I also work as a research design, evaluation and statistical consultant for the Academic Health Sciences Network, North East and North Cumbria (AHSN – NENC).
Teaching and supervision
My specialisms are quantitative research methods, cognitive and biological psychology, addiction and the philosophical and historical underpinnings of psychology. Over my time at Sunderland, I have led and taught modules across all undergraduate and postgraduate levels. For a number of years I specialised in teaching introductory research methods and ran the stage 1 cross curricular development weeks focusing on equality, diversity and inclusion, and gaming and adult play.
Currently I am module leader for and teach the stage 3 modules: Memory and Life, Psychology of Addiction and Advanced Quantitative Methods. I also run the stage 3 Clinical Psychology core module: Mental Health and Illness: applying and integrating.
I also supervise research projects on the undergraduate and postgraduate project modules and perform PhD supervision.
Research interests for potential research students
- Health innovation and evaluation
- Health inequalities and access
- Statistical analysis relating to these topics
Research
- The majority of my research is collaborative within and beyond the University and involves using statistical and research methods expertise coupled with a background in medicine to design, implement and evaluate projects which enhance health outcomes and deliver innovation. I have a wide range of experience working with a variety of health professionals including pharmacists, physiotherapists, North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) and others to deliver projects which tackle health inequality and access to treatment on a local, regional and national basis. Some of the themes in my research include:
- Enhancing access to and uptake of lipid lowering therapy to target cardiovascular disease risk including evaluation of novel injectable therapies, enhancing secondary prevention by working with clinical pharmacists and improving primary prevention in undeserved population using ambulance delivered roadside intervention.
- Identification and treatment of undiagnosed bone health problems and the reduction of fragility fractures in both local and regional populations –https://bonehealth.thenhsa.co.uk/
- Addiction and substance abuse including projects to tackle prescription opioid over-use and abuse across the north east and north Cumbria, smoking cessation in undeserved populations and cannabis use in young people in Sunderland.
- Physical and mental health outcomes in NHS staff particularly focusing on the sequelae of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Enhancement of NHS practice and procedures e.g. evaluation of the GIT endoscopy diagnostic pathway in North Tees, implementation and evaluation of the HEIDI digital headache diary at Sunderland Royal Hospital, involvement with audit at sites across the region, development of a scale to measure staff confidence to deliver improvement at the RVI.
- Working with colleagues in the Faculty of Education and Society and with Together for Children (Sunderland City Council) to provide statistical expertise, training and supervision as well as analysis. data mining, linking and reporting on large administrative data sets to enhance the experiences of children in the region.
Within the School of Psychology I continue to have an interest in episodic memory and particularly its role in episodic future thinking and collaborate with colleagues on projects looking at the lived experience of autistic people
Publications
Article
Hart, Matthew, Rees, Jon, Newton, Julia, Stansby, Gerard, Mackay, Kate and Luvai, Ahai (2024) Lipid-lowering optimisation for secondary prevention vascular and diabetic foot patients in a pharmacist-led clinic. Journal of Clinical Lipidology. ISSN 1933-2874 (In Press)
Charlton, Karl, Rees, Jon and Burrow, Emma (2024) Identifying high cholesterol in the ambulance setting: a mixed-methods cohort study to tackle health inequality. Journal of Public Health, fdae00. ISSN 1741-3842
Hartley, Matthew, Rees, Jon, Newton, Julia, Stansby, Gerry, Munac, Kate and Luvai, Ahai (2023) Impact of a pharmacist-led clinic in optimising lipid therapy for secondary prevention in vascular and diabetic foot patients. Atherosclerosis Plus, 54 (S1). S5-S5. ISSN 2667-0909
Bashir, Khalid, Beintaris, Iosif, Sharp, Linda, Newton, Julia, Elliott, Katharine, Rees, Jon, Rogers, Peter and Rutter, Matt (2023) Colonoscopic cancer detection rate: a new performance measure – is it FIT for purpose? Frontline Gastroenterology. ISSN 2041-4137 (Submitted)
Renouf, Caitlin, Ballard, Paul, Khunda, Aethele, Kershaw, Victoria, Shawer, Sami and Rees, Jon (2023) Patient experience of pain during vaginal pessary removal and insertion: a service evaluation study. International Urogynecology Journal, 35. pp. 327-332. ISSN 0937-3462
Raw, Rachael K., Rees, Jon and Chadwick, David R. (2023) Increased adverse events following third dose of BNT162b2/Pfizer vaccine in those with previous COVID-19, but not with concurrent influenza vaccine. PLOS Global Public Health, 3 (2). e0001053. ISSN 2767-3375
Pearson, Amy, Rose, Kieran and Rees, Jon (2022) ‘I felt like I deserved it because I was autistic’: Understanding the impact of interpersonal victimisation in the lives of autistic people. Autism, 27 (2). pp. 500-511. ISSN 1362-3613
Pearson, Amy, Rees, Jon and Forster, Samantha (2022) “This Was Just How This Friendship Worked”: Experiences of Interpersonal Victimization Among Autistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood. pp. 1842-10. ISSN 2573-9581
Raw, Rachael K., Rees, Jon, Kelly, Clive A., Wroe, Caroline and Chadwick, David R. (2021) Prior COVID-19 infection is associated with increased Adverse Events (AEs) after the first, but not the second, dose of the BNT162b2/Pfizer vaccine. Vaccine, 40 (3). pp. 418-423. ISSN 0264-410X
Nicholson, Rachel C, Khunda, Aethele, Ballard, Paul, Rees, Jon and McCormick, Carol (2021) Prevalence of histological abnormalities in hysterectomy specimens performed for prolapse. A systematic review and meta-analysis. International urogynecology journal. ISSN 1433-3023
Miller, Danielle, Rees, Jon and Pearson, Amy (2021) “Masking Is Life”: Experiences of Masking in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood. ISSN 2573-959X
Murphy, D C, Hoyle, V, Saleh, D, Rees, Jon and Bound Alberti, F (2021) Central importance of emotional and quality-of-life outcomes in the public's perception of face transplantation. The British journal of surgery. ISSN 1365-2168
Murphy, Declan C, Melville, Harry Jr, George, Grace, Grinton, Michael, Chen, Yunzi, Rees, Jon, Tyagi, Pallavi, Wickham, Louisa and Steel, David Hw (2020) The association between foveal floor measurements and macular hole size. Ophthalmology Retina. ISSN 2468-6530
Tremlett, Michael R, Rees, Jon, Bonner T, Tim J, Lazarova, Lepa, Kang, Chong, Bosman, Derek A and Blackmore, Kate J (2020) A single centre change of practice audit of pain after coblation intracapsular tonsillectomy compared to standard dissection tonsillectomy in a discrete paediatric population. [Short report]. Paediatric anaesthesia. ISSN 1460-9592
Morrow, Gerry, Roberts, Anthony, Newton, Julia, Rees, Jon, Walkley, Michael and Flavell, Linda (2020) Impact of a community‐acquired pneumonia care bundle in North East England from 2014 to 2017—A quality improvement project. The Clinical Respiratory Journal. ISSN 1752-699X
Murphy, D.C., Rees, Jon and Steel, DH (2020) Surgical interventions for degenerative lamellar macular holes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (7). ISSN 1469-493X
Mehta, A, Rana-Rahman, R, Klassen, I, Rees, Jon and Steel, DH (2020) The Effect of Internal Limiting Membrane Cleaning on Epiretinal Membrane Formation after Vitrectomy for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. Opthalmologica. ISSN 0030-3755
Murphy, Declan C, Fostier, Will, Rees, Jon and Steel, David H (2019) Foveal sparing internal limiting membrane peeling for idiopathic macular holes: effects on anatomical restoration of the fovea and visual function. Retina. ISSN 1539-2864
Murphy, D.C., Fostier, Wil, Rees, Jon and Steel, D.H. (2019) Foveal sparing internal limiting membrane peeling for idiopathic macular hole; effects on anatomical restoration of the fovea and visual function. Retina. ISSN 0275-004X
Ayuk, Paul, Farnworth, Allsin, Rees, Jon, Khunda, Aehthele, Edmundson, Dawn, Raheja, Vinita, Ullal, Aarti, Ravimohan, Velauthapillai, Lu, Ena and Robson, SC (2019) Obstetric anal sphincter injuries before and after the introduction of the Episcissors-60: A multi-centre time series analysis. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 241. pp. 94-98. ISSN 0301-2115
Geenen, Caspar, Murphy, Declan C., Sandinha, Maria T., Rees, Jon and Steel, David H. W. (2019) Significance of preoperative external limiting membrane height on visual prognosis in patients undergoing macular hole surgery. RETINA, 39 (7). pp. 1392-1398. ISSN 0275-004X
Steel, D, Suleman, J, Murphy, D.C., Dodds, S and Rees, Jon (2018) Optic disc pit maculopathy: a two-year nationwide prospective study. Ophthalmology, 125 (11). pp. 1757-1764. ISSN 0161-6420
Madi, HA, Dinah, C, Rees, Jon and Steel, DH (2015) The Case Mix of Patients Presenting with Full-Thickness Macular Holes and Progression before Surgery: Implications for Optimum Management. Opthalmologica, 233 (3-4). pp. 216-221. ISSN 0030-3755
Sharpe, Abigail, Waring, Gareth, Rees, Jon, McGarry, Kenneth and Hinshaw, Kim (2015) Caesarean section at maternal request - the differing views of patients & health care professionals: a questionnaire based study. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 192 (1). pp. 54-60. ISSN 0301-2115
Steel, DH, Dinah, C, Madi, HA, White, K and Rees, Jon (2014) The staining pattern of brilliant blue G during macular hole surgery: a clinicopathologic study. Investigative Opthalmology and Vision Science, 55 (9). pp. 5924-31. ISSN 1552-5783
Reports, briefing/ working papers
Rees, Jon and Martin-Denham, Sarah (2022) Investigating the demand on the children’s home accommodation provided for the looked after population in Sunderland City. Project Report. UNSPECIFIED, Sunderland.
Conference or Workshop Item
Graham, Yitka, Jones, Robyn, Rees, Jon, McBride, Sam and Owens, Rebecca (2024) Como abordamos las cuestiones de genero para maximar la perdida de peso? In: Sociedad Argentina de Cirugia de la Obesidad, Enfermedad Metabolica y otras Relacionadas con la Obesidad (SACO) 7th Congreso Argention, 20-22 Mar 2024, Hotel Costa Galana, Mar Del Plata, Argentina. (Unpublished)
Ayeni, Funbi, Ramshaw, Kathryn, Rees, Jon and Lakshmana, Palaniappan (2024) Analysis of complications associated with combined single stage anterior and posterior cervical spine decompression fusion surgery. In: British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS) 2024, 20-22 Mar 2024, Bournemouth, UK. (Submitted)
Charlton, Karl and Rees, Jon (2023) Identifying high cholesterol in the ambulance setting: impact of a primary prevention programme to tackle health inequality. In: 2023 HEART UK Annual Scientific Conference, 5-7/7/2023, Coventry, UK.
Hart, Matthew, Luvai, Ahai, Rees, Jon and Newton, Julia (2023) Impact of a pharmacist-led clinic in optimising lipid therapy for secondary prevention in vascular and diabetic foot patients. In: 2023 HEART UK Annual Scientific Conference, 5-7/7/2023, Coventry, UK.
Richardson, Annette, Weiand, Daniel and Rees, Jon (2023) Development of a multi-professional self-assessment tool to assess QI confidence. In: International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare., 13-15/5/2023, Copenhagen.
- Quantitative research methods and statistical analysis
- Analysis of health related data including complex and large data sets
- Design, delivery and evaluation of health innovation and health enhancement projects
- Mixed methods and questionnaire design
- Research troubleshooting
- Cognitive psychology – especially episodic and autobiographical memory.