BSc(Hons), MSc.Econ, PhD
Professor in Epidemiology
- About
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- Email Address
- gareth.jones@abdn.ac.uk
- Office Address
- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Biography
Gareth is a non-clinical epidemiologist. He trained in epidemiology at the University of Manchester in the Arthritis Research Campaign Epidemiology Unit. He moved to the University of Aberdeen in 2005. He is currently Professor in Epidemiology, and deputy head of the Epidemiology Group. He is also currently chair of the School Ethics Review Board (SERB), for the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition.
External Memberships
- Research
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Research Overview
Gareth's research interests centre on the aetiology, outcome, and management of arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, with a major focus on musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia, axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
He is Chief Investigator of the British Society for Rheumatology Psoriatic Arthritis Register (BSR-PsA) and the Versus Arthritis funded DyNAMISM study, a study investigating whether non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the appearance of sacroiliac joint bone marrow oedema on MRI, in persons with spondyloarthritis.
As part of the Epidemiology Group's developing Registers Programme, he is also co-chief investigator of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy's UK Antimicrobial Register (UKAR).
He has published over 130 research papers, editorials, reviews, and book chapters. See: list of publications.
Collaborations
Centre of Excellence for Musculoskeletal Health and Work
Gareth is principal investigator in the Centre of Excellence for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, funded by Versus Arthritis and the Medical Research Council. The centre brings together different academic institutions across the UK, with interest and expertise in rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease, and its relation to occupation.
British Society for SpondyloArthritis (BRITSpA)
Gareth is an Executive Committee member of BRITSpA, the only UK-based organisation focused on the advancing knowledge and treatment of spondyloarthropathies - including (but not limited to) axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
Follow BritSpA on Twitter: @britspauk
EuroSpA
As Chief Investigator of the British Society for Rheumatology Psoriatic Arthritis Register (BSR-PsA), and one of the lead investigators of the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Ankylosing Spondylitis (BSRBR-AS), Gareth is a member of the EuroSpA Research Collaboration a collaboration network of rheumatologists and scientists from 17 European countries that have spondyloarthritis and/or psoriatic arthritis registries.
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
Postgraduate research students
I have recently supervised PhD students in a number of different areas, including: (i) Fatigue as a co-morbidity of musculoskeletal disease: aetiology and response to treatment; (ii) Epidemiology and outcome of ankylosing spondylitis; (iii) Methodological issues in epidemiological studies of musculoskeletal pain; (iv) Epidemiology and outcome of distal arm pain; and (v) Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs prescribing patterns over time.
For current PhD vacancies, please see here.
Also, in recent years, I have supervised several MSc students, in areas such as: (i) Pregnancy outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis; (ii) The association between low birthweight / premature birth and adult chronic widespread pain; (iii) The reproducibility of pain manikins: a comparison of paper versus online questionnaires; and (iv) The effectiveness of activity promoting games (e.g. WiiFit) can reduce the risk of falls in the elderly.
University curriculum
Gareth lectures on the Epidemiology module of several Masters programmes at the university: (i) Masters of Public Health; (ii) MSc in Global Health and Management. In addition he lectures in Epidemiology, as part of the PgCert in Research Methods for Health and is Epidemiology tutor for the MBChB Special Study Module in Population Health.
External courses
Course coordinator and lecturer on the week-long Intensive Course in Applied Epidemiology. This course has been run in Aberdeen since 2007, having previously been run for around 15 years at the University of Manchester. The course is always rated very highly, and delegates travel from all over the world, with recent attendees from as far afield as the Far East, South America and Australia. For further details and / or to register for the current course please contact epidemiology@abdn.ac.uk.
