Dr Michelle Tester-Jones

I am a Lecturer in Public Involvement and Public Health at the University of Exeter and Associate Director for Involvement and Engagement within the School for Public Health Environments Research (SPHERE). My work sits at the intersection of public health research, participatory methods, and community-engaged research practice, with a particular focus on developing innovative approaches to public involvement and engagement (PI&E) in research and evaluating community-based public health initiatives.

I hold leadership roles within both research and education. I serve as Co-Director of the University’s Master of Public Health (MPH) programme, where I oversee programme delivery, curriculum development, and the integration of research-informed and community-engaged learning approaches. Alongside this, I lead strategic work on PI&E within the NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR), including coordination of national advisory networks and development of methodological approaches to evaluate the impact of involvement in public health research.

My research spans applied public health, participatory research methods, and the evaluation of community wellbeing initiatives. I am Co-Lead Applicant on the NIHR SPHR Area for Research Innovation (AfRI) award Innovation in Involvement, a multi-institutional programme advancing methodological innovation in PI&E, and a Co-Investigator on major national research programmes including the UKRI NetZero Hub and the NIHR Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Team (PHIRST). I have also led and delivered a range of applied evaluation projects in partnership with community organisations and local stakeholders.

My earlier research focused on clinical and developmental psychopathology, particularly cognitive processes in depression and the relationship between maternal rumination, mood, and mother–infant bonding. This work has been published in leading journals and received international media coverage. More recently, my work has expanded to include research on community wellbeing initiatives, participatory research methods, and the role of natural environments and community spaces in supporting mental health and reducing health inequalities.

Alongside my research, I contribute extensively to postgraduate teaching and supervision within the MPH programme, including module leadership, capstone project supervision, and the development of innovative community-engaged learning opportunities. I am committed to advancing public health research that is both methodologically rigorous and socially responsive, working collaboratively with communities, practitioners, and researchers to address complex public health challenges.