Jo has been working as a Registered Dietitian within the NHS for over 28 years after qualifying in 1997 from Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett University). Jo has a specialist interest in food insecurity, obesity, health inequalities, dietary intakes and the eating behaviour of people with mental health conditions.

Jo was Head of Dietetics at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust for 15 years, transforming it from just two members of staff in 2008, to the largest and most established mental health dietetics team in the UK, with over 50 Dietitians, Nutritionists and Assistants. 

In 2008, Jo gained a master’s degree in Evidence Based Practice from Teesside University.  Her thesis was entitled “The Body Mass Index and Dietary Intakes of Adults with Learning Disabilities Detained on Secure Units”. 

Since 2009, Jo has been an active member of the Mental Health Specialist Group of the British Dietetic Association, including acting as Chair of the group and currently the Research Officer. She has been involved in numerous national projects. In 2018,  Jo was one of the lead authors of “A Weight off Your Mind” (AWoYM) which is a regional plan to support individuals accessing secondary mental health and LD services to manage their weight successfully. In 2019, she was honoured to be awarded the Public Health Champion Award at the NHS England Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Awards July 2019 for her work in the field of obesity and mental health.

In 2020, Jo commenced a two-year secondment to the role of Consultant Allied Health Professional (Clinical Academic).  The post involved working across Teesside University; Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; and the NIHR Clinical Research Network for the North East and North Cumbria.   Due to the success of this secondment, Jo was offered a permament role as a Clinical Academic Dietitian in early 2022, working jointly across her NHS Trust and Teesside University. Jo commenced her PhD in Nutrition at Teesside University in December 2021, studying part time for up to six years. 

In 2025, Jo embarked on a new role as a Senior Clinical Acacemic working jointly between the NHS and Teesside University on a £2.5million NIHR Mental Health Leader Award alongside Professor Emma L. Giles. 

Jo is the NIHR AHP Research Champion for the North East and North Cumbria.