Prof. Emma Louise Giles (Fisher) was awarded her PhD from Newcastle University in 2010. Her PhD explored the links between diet, alcohol, and physical activity in young adults, focusing on social marketing as a method to achieve lifestyle behaviour change.

She joined the School of Health and Life Sciences (formerly School of Health and Social Care) in April 2015 as Senior Research Lecturer in Public Health, and as of August 2023 is a Professor of Integrating Physical and Mental Health.

She is a peer reviewer for several high profile journals including Journal of the American Medical Association, PLOS One, and Appetite, and is Associate Editor for BMC Public Health and PLOS ONE. Emma is also an NIHR Research for Patient Benefit NE and Yorkshire Funding Reviewer Panel Member. She is also part of UKRI's peer review college.

Emma is a member of the School of Health and Life Sciences Research Ethics and Governance Committee and is a Teesside University Mental Health Champion. She also leads the Centre for Public Health in the School of Health and Life Sciences, and is a Fellow of Advance HE (formerly The Higher Education Academy).

Emma is co-Speciality Group Lead for Public Health for the NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network North East and North Cumbria (Dec 2022 to present). She was also awarded Membership by Distinction of the Faculty of Public Health in July 2023. 

Currently she supervises a number of PhD and Master's students based at Teesside University. She is available to act as an internal and external PhD examiner.

Emma’s research interests are primarily in the areas of: Mental and physical health related to diet-related long term health conditions (e.g. food allergy, obesity), wider determinants of health (e.g. food insecurity), and designing health systems that provide seamless and accessible health care. Methodological expertise is particularly in qualitative research, systematic reviews, co-production and peer research.  

Current Projects

Development of a Mental Health Research Group, focusing on mental health priorities in the Tees Valley (Jan 2025 to Dec 2029)

Principal Investigator: Prof Emma Giles

Funder: NIHR Mental Health Leader Award

Scoping work to inform validation and screening of a food insecurity screening tool for adults with Severe Mental Illness (Sept 2024 to Feb 2026)

Principal Investigators: Prof Emma Giles, Jo Smith

Funder: TEWV RCF

Co-produce 'LEAN': lifestyle intervention (Dec 2024 to Dec 2025)

Investigators: Prof Emma Giles, Jo Smith and LEAN Team

Funder: NIHR Team Science

Moreability: Movement, medication and mental health (Dec 2024 to Dec 2025)

Investigators: Prof Emma Giles and the Moreability Team

Funder: NIHR Team Science

Increasing accessibility of affordable healthy foods to adults living with severe mental illness in Middlesbrough (2023-2024)

Principal Investigators: Joe Dunne, Jo Smith 

Funder: NIHR Programme Development Grant

Previous Projects

• Lifestyle advice for adults with learning disabilities (2024)
• Food insecurity and galactosaemia (2024)

• Preventing Adult Not Brought (2023-2024)

• Diet quality in adults with severe mental illness (2023)

• Person Centred Cancer Screening (PECCS) (2022-2023)

• Food Insecurity in those with severe mental illness (2021-2023)

• A scoping review of long term health conditions; easy read resources (2023)

• Children and Young People Tier 2 Weight Management evaluation (2020-2021)

• Understanding the impact of physical activity levels within the North East of England during COVID-19 lockdowns (2020-2021)

• System-level analysis of MECC implementation across the North East and Cumbria: A comparative study of delivery models, service reach and system relationships (2021-2022)

• A scoping review of food poverty in adults with severe mental illness (2020-2021)

• Understanding the treat culture in secure mental inpatient units (2020-2021)

• Understanding use of the NBMI CLiP - A Weight off Your Mind (2021-2022)

• Modelling financial incentives to motivate pregnant smokers to quit - using Evolutionary Game Theory (2020-2022)

• Developing an audit tool for mapping training for suicide and self-harm (2021)

• NHS 111 Mental Health Support Service Evaluation (2020)

• A scoping review of the evidence on suicide and self-harm training (2020)

• Lifestyle Interventions following Breast Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review (2020)

• Physical Activity, Health and Community Evidence: essential data to inform the initial stage of Intervention Mapping; Local Activity Pilot (2018-2019)

• A multi-centre individual-randomised controlled trial of screening and brief alcohol intervention to prevent risky drinking in young people aged 14-15 in a high school setting (SIPS JR-HIGH) (2015-2018)

• Measuring change from alcohol brief interventions: Development of a consensus core outcome set (2016-2018)

• A pilot study to explore the feasibility and efficacy of the BeeZee Bodies/Healum App (2017-2018)

• Evaluating the North Yorkshire Healthy Choices tier 2 weight management programme for children and young people aged 5-19 years (2017-2018)

• Socio-ecological influences on adolescent alcohol use and linked unhealthy eating behaviours (2016-2018)

• A systematic review of alcohol interventions for people living with and beyond cancer (2017)

• Children and young people: Alcohol study (2016-2017)

• Financial incentives for health behaviours (2012-2015)

• Older People and Dietary Behaviours (2010-2011)

Emma currently supervises the following postgraduate research students.

Ongoing

Awaiting Viva/Corrections

-

PhD Students Supervised to Completion

Dr Rosie Dawson (Doctorate in Public Health), 2020-2024: ‘Exercise interventions for infertility and in preparation for pregnancy - a Mixed Methods study’ (2^nd supervisor).

Dr Phil Watson (Professional Doctorate), 2017- 2023: ‘The role of the social work practice educator in promoting poverty informed practice (Director of Studies).

Dr Sarit Carlebach (PhD PT), 2013-2023: 'Exploring the barriers and facilitators to policy implementation within the context of time.” (2^nd supervisor).

Dr Gillian Milton (PhD). 2015-2018: ‘Embedding interventions into public health within a changing landscape’. Completed 2018 (3rd supervisor).

Dr Siobhan Taylor (PhD).  ‘How does Lean work in healthcare?’ Completed 2019 (3rd supervisor).

Dr Daniel Jones (Graduate Tutor): Second supervisor 2016-2020 ‘Exploring physical activity interventions in preschool children’ (PhD) (2nd supervisor).

Dr Jennifer Teke Epse Che:  2013-2021 ‘Exploring barriers, facilitators and marketing strategies for weight management programmes for BME communities in Medway’ (Doctorate in Public Health) (3rd supervisor).

Dr Kate Byrnes (Graduate Tutor). 2017-2021: ‘Behaviour change interventions to increase uptake of cancer screening initiatives in those with learning disabilities’ (Director of Studies). 

Dr Abimbola Ojo: 2013-2021 ‘Promotion of healthy food in the fight against obesity: exploring the perception, beliefs, understanding, and practice of healthy eating among Black Africans in the South-East London, England’ (Doctorate in Public Health) (2nd supervisor).

MSc Students Supervised to Completion

Robyn Hargreaves, (MRes), Comparing gastric sleeves, secondary data analysis (DoS).

Anita Attala, (MRes), Exploring dietitain views on supporting people living with obesity and severe mental illness (DoS).

Kerry Derbyshire, (MSc Dietetics), Food insecurity assessment tools for adults with severe mental illness: a systematic review (Joint DoS).

Matthew Youngman, (MSc Dietetics), Food insecurity in families with children or young people with autism: a systematic review (Joint DoS).

Emma is an Associate Member of Fuse, The Centre for Translational Research and co-leads the 'Behaviour Change' research cluster. She is a deputy lead for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration NENC theme for integrating physical health, mental health, and social care and is Co-Chair of the North East Obesity Forum .

• Newcastle University
• Durham University
• Northumbria University
• The University of Cambridge
• Kings College London
• The University of Kent
• Liverpool John Moores University
• The University of Edinburgh
• The University of Lincoln
• The University of Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
• Karoline Institute, Sweden
• RTI, North Caroline, USA
• University of New South Wales, Australia

Emma has authored a chapter in a book titled ‘Co-creating and Co-producing Research Evidence: A Guide for Practitioners and Academics in Health, Social Care and Education Settings’. 

Emma contributes to teaching within the School of Health and Life Sciences as a guest lecturer for the Doctorate in Public Health, and the MSc in Clinical Research.

University level:

• Postgraduate Assessment Board Member, Teesside University: September 2017 to October 2020.
• Human Resources Available Panel Member for Interviews: April 2015 to present

School level:

• Research Impact Board Member, Teesside University: Jan 2023 to present
• Research Grants Board Member, Teesside University: Jan 2023 to present
• Research Operations Group Member, Teesside University: Jan 2023 to present
• Research & Innovation Sub-Committee Member, Teesside University: June 2017 to 2023
• Postgraduate Tutor School of Health and Life Science, Teesside University: September 2017 to October 2020
• Ethics and Research Governance Member, School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University: July 2017 to present
• School of Health and Life Sciences Athena Swan member: September 2019 to 2021