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Staff Profile

Emma Adams

NIHR ARC NENC Mental Health Fellow

Background

I am a member of the Population Health Sciences Institute and work in the Public Health and Health Inequalities theme. I am an associate member of Fuse the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health and a member of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria linked with the Inequalities and marginalized communities theme. 

I joined Newcastle University in February 2020 as an NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) Pre-doctoral Fellow. My research interests are centred around public health and inequalities, with much of my work focusing on mental health (including drug and alcohol use) and homelessness. I am particularly interested in co-producing my work, which means I work with people with lived experience across all stages of my work. I am currently an ARC Mental Health Fellow within the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria. 

Prior to moving to Newcastle, I was based at a tertiary mental health facility in Whitby, Ontario (Canada) where I worked in both research and system-level strategy. I have co-led a range of projects, some of which include service mapping, coordinated care model development, regional engagement and implementation initiatives. 

I am open to supervising Master students who are interested in public mental health, substance use, and public health for individuals experiencing homelessness. 


Qualifications

Master of Science in Public Health, specializing in Global Health (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Postgraduate certificate in Project Management (Centennial College)

Honours Bachelor in Health Sciences (University of Ottawa)



Research

Research interests:

  • Public mental health
  • Homelessness and inclusion health populations
  • Substance use
  • Access to care
  • Co-production

Current research funding:

  • The impact of trauma on mental health in people experiencing homelessness: a qualitative study exploring the role of system factors and social networks. (2023-2026). NIHR Doctoral Fellowship. (Principal Investigator: £322,050)

  • Evidence synthesis: training, networking, and undertaking a systematic review around trauma, mental health, and homelessness. (2022-2023). Three NIHR Schools Mental Health Programme - Individual Research Career Development Award. (Principal Investigator: £24,760)

  • Learning from the 'Everyone In' approach to providing mental health and physical health support (including substance misuse), and how this can be translated to future policy and practice. (2022-2023). NIHR Public Health Policy Research Unit. (Co-Principal Investigator: £351,212)
  • Identifying multi-agency, trauma-informed and integrated solutions for unmet need of individuals experiencing homelessness in Northumberland and North Tyneside (2021-2023). NIHR Research for Social Care (RfSC) Rapid Call on Mental Health. (Co-investigator: £309,663)
  • Working with children and families at the edge of care-a realist evaluation of North Tyneside Council's keeping families connected (KFC) provision. (2020-2022). NIHR NENC Applied Research Collaboration. (Co-investigator: £55,162)

Past research funding

  • Exploring and understanding access to community mental health and addiction support for individuals experiencing homelessness during the pandemic (2021). NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR) Summer Internships. (Principal Investigator: £2,500)
  • Exploring and understanding access to community-based mental health and addiction services for service users experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage and providers in Newcastle and Gateshead in times of extreme adversity. (2020-2022). NIHR SPHR - ResNet ECR Funding. (Principal Investigator: £25,627.44)
  • Exploring the longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on young people's mental health and additional support required post lockdown. (2020-2021). NIHR SPHR - ResNet ECR Funding. (Co-Investigator: £20,605.67)
  • NIHR School for Public Health Research Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. (2020-2022). NIHR School for Public Health Research. (Personal Funding: £117,485)

Ongoing systematic reviews registered with prospero:

  • Haddow, K., Jain, N., Adams, EA., Ramsay SE., et al. A systematic review of integrated care interventions in response to policy or system level initiatives for people experiencing homelessness. PROSPERO 2022 CRD 42022373184. 

  • Adams, EA, Ramsay SE, Kaner E, et al. A co-produced qualitative systematic review of the impact of trauma on mental health (including substance use) of people experiencing homelessness. PROSPERO 2022 CRD 42022349742. 

  • Redgate, S., Smart, D., Adams, E., Alderson, H., Barrett, S., Barron, C., Burns, S., Firth, J., Frost, H., Kaner, E., McGovern, W., Renwick, T., Xeros, P., McGovern, R. A realist synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of community delivered interventions to reduce the likelihood of children going into care and promote family preservation. PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021231009.

  • Smiles, C., McGovern, R., Kaner, E., Rankin, R., Adams, E., Orange, M. A systematic review of qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of pregnancy, including unplanned or unintended pregnancies, amongst women who use illicit drugs. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020198884 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020198884 

  • McGowan, L., Joyes, E., Adams, E., et al. Systematic review of oral health and related health behaviour interventions in adults with severe and multiple disadvantages. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020202416 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020202416

  • Hulin, J., Weich, S., Mukuria, C., Clowes, M., Buckley Woods, H., Ramsay, S., Kaner, E., Spencer, L., Adams, E., Dykxhoorn, J., Walters, K., Osborn, D., Zamperoni, V., Fischer, V., Pinfold, V., Petermann, M., Jones, O. A systematic review of public mental health outcome measures. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020186218 Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020186218

Publications