Professor Jane West
BSc (Hons), MPH, PhD
Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health
Honorary Professor in Public Health
Full contact details
Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
- Profile
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Some years ago, I started out as a midwife working clinically in the NHS. I then developed an interest in population health and inequalities, and moved on to public health specialty training within the Yorkshire and Humber region. During training I had the opportunity to work with the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort study and was able to complete doctoral and post-doctoral research fellowships with the study. I am now the Director of Public Health Research and ActEarly Consultant in Public Health at Bradford Institute for Health Research. I work mostly on one of the UK Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP) Consortia – the ActEarly Consortium which focuses on early life interventions to reduce non-communicable disease risk in children growing up in Bradford and Tower Hamlets. I still work with BiB and am contributing to the Age of Wonder programme which is following the cohort and wider Bradford population of a similar age, as they progress through secondary school.
I am also the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) National Specialty Lead for Public Health helping to develop the CRN Public Health CRN portfolio and the network support available to public health research.
I work with ScHARR on the University of Sheffield MRC Skills Development Fellowship Programme in Population Health Systems Science and Decision Modelling as a member of host leadership team and am also the Prevention Lead for the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) in which ScHARR plays a key role. I also work with the UKPRP SIPHER Consortium team through the UKPRP Community of Practice Management Theme. Although not a staff member, I feel fortunate to be part of ScHARR and its welcoming community.
- Research interests
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My research has focused on improving our understanding of ethnic differences in child size and growth. This has included examining size and markers of adiposity in around 8,000 Pakistani and White British origin children participating in the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort study at birth, age 4/5 and age 7/8, and potential maternal influences on any differences. Only maternal BMI was found to be associated with child adiposity at age 4/5 which drew attention to the importance of a healthy weight prior to and during pregnancy. I have been able to continue supporting BiB through ongoing research and the acquisition of external funding that has helped develop BiB infrastructure and sustain the cohort of children and families. For example, I am contributing to the BiB Age of Wonder project by supporting the anthropometric data collection and examination of size, growth and cardiometabolic risk.
My wider interests include geographical, ethnic, social and economic inequalities and the wider system influences on health and disease. I am a PhD supervisor and am always excited to work with others with similar interests.
- Professional activities and memberships
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I am a fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and am registered with the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR). I support Public Health Specialty Registrars in the Yorkshire and Humber region as an academic and educational supervisor, and I am also a member of the Public Health Training Advisory Group and ARCP panel. I hold an honorary Consultant in Public Health contract with Bradford Council and work with their Public Health Leadership Team and Living Well programme.
I am a member of the Advisory Board for Safer Gambling and contribute a public health perspective to the Board’s work providing independent advice to the Commission.
As the National Specialty Lead (NSL) for Public Health for the NIHR CRN, I chair the NIHR CRN Public Health National Specialty Group and am a member of the DHSC Public Health Operational Group (PHOG). During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was a member of the network’s Urgent Public Health Group helping to consider and recommend prioritisation of urgent COVID-19 research studies.