Ms Jane Wills

I am Professor of Health Promotion and Public Health, was the Director of Research and Enterprise 2017-2021 and  led the research centre for Applied Research in Improvement and Innovation (CApRII) which is now the Centre for Health and Wellbeing Research. I am currently co-investigator of PHIRST South Bank, a new research centre at LSBU that is evaluating national public health initiatives. 

I have extensive teaching experience in the UK and internationally. I led a masters course in public health and health promotion at the University of West of England and then at LSBU and currently run PHET (Public Health Education And Training) that offers CPD. I have supervised numersous dissertations and doctorates with eight completed as director of studies.

I have been at the forefront of developments in health promotion as a discipline over the last three decades through best selling textbooks including "Foundations for Health Promotion" which is in its fifth edition and has been translated into five languages.

My recent research has focused on what works to improve the health and wellbeing of health and social care workforces and how they can be developed to deliver opportunistic health education. I am also working on projects understanding how health literacy influences individual and community decision making and behaviour change. I am a founding member and co-investigator with PHIRST South Bank, an evaluation team funded by the National Institute of Health Research which is based at LSBU, who are helping local authorities to build an evidence base on successful and effective public health interventions.
I have worked with regional and government agencies in several low income countries to develop training for community health workers, to develop plans for sustainable behaviour change approaches in relation to paraffin safety, food growing, sanitation and physical activity and to investigate good practices and the transferability and scalability of innovation in public health. I have also acted as a facilitator and expert educator in numerous skills areas including social marketing and behaviour change communication and evidence informed practice.
I have been an Associate non-executive director for Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust as it moves into an integrated care system where I brought my expertise in public health and health promotion and commitment to addressing and reducing health inequalities.