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Nina Jacob

Dr Nina Jacob

(she/her)

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Nina Jacob

Overview

I am a Research Fellow at Cardiff University’s Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE), specialising in implementation science in adult social care. My work examines how interventions, services, and policies are adopted, adapted, and sustained in practice, and how implementation processes can be strengthened to improve outcomes for people drawing on care and support.

I have a particular interest in the implementation of interventions in complex, real-world settings such as care homes and community-based services, including work focused on suicide prevention and mental health. While my background is in qualitative and ethnographic approaches, my current research combines a broader range of methods and frameworks to generate insights that are actionable for practitioners, policymakers, and communities.

My work is underpinned by a commitment to equity, ensuring that implementation research reflects the needs and voices of people often marginalised in social care.

Research themes

  • Implementation and Improvement in Adult Social Care
    Investigating how interventions and services are delivered, adopted, and sustained, and identifying the organisational, workforce, and policy factors that shape their impact.

  • Suicide Prevention and Mental Health in Care Settings
    Exploring how evidence-based approaches to suicide prevention and mental health support can be translated into practice within social care and community contexts.

  • Methods for Implementation Research
    Drawing on qualitative, ethnographic, and mixed methods to understand the realities of care delivery, decision-making, and adaptation, while advancing methodological approaches to studying implementation.

  • Equity and Inclusive Engagement
    Ensuring that diverse perspectives are embedded in research design and implementation, making findings more relevant and responsive to different lived experiences.

Publication

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2008

2007

Articles

Conferences

Monographs

Thesis

Research

Current / recent projects 

Principal investigator for Talking Trials: participatory approaches to creating community dialogue 

Qualitative lead for:

The RCN-funded ProJudge study (examining the use of professional judgement in nurse staffing decisions)

The NIHR-funded PUMA study (Paediatric early warning system - Utilisation and Mortality Avoidance): prospective mixed-methods before and after study of the development, implementation and evaluation of a programme to improve paediatric early warning systems:

DOMINO-HD (Multi-Domain Lifestyle Targets for Improving ProgNOsis in Huntington's Disease): This JPND funded consortium is investigating how lifestyle and genetic factors may be influencing the progression of Huntington's disease (HD). As part of this we are also looking at how digital technologies (such as activity trackers) can be used to support people with HD and HD research.

The MRC funded PrinciPILs study looking at developing and testing participant information leaflets that inform and do not cause harm.

TRAK-MSK: A randomised controlled feasibility study of TRAK musculoskeletal digital self-management physiotherapy intervention for individuals with musculoskeletal pain. CI - Dr Kate Button (Cardiff and Vale University Health Board/Cardiff University)

NIHR PHR funded study PHaCT; Preventing Homelessness, improving health for people leaving prison: a pilot randomised controlled trial of a Critical Time intervention 

3P: Optimisation and feasibility of Triple P parenting programme for remote delivery study to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial of remote Group Triple P, an intervention designed to help parents develop strategies to build relationships and confidently manage their children’s behaviour.

 

Research funding

'Talking Trials': participatory approaches to creating community dialogue (Principal investigator, £59,880 Rethinking public dialogue: a UKRI experimentation fund)

‘Self-harm and Suicide in Children and Young People Research Collaboration’, GW4 (£56,720.94), (Co-applicant)

ESRC Impact Acceleration Fund, ESRC 'Exploring the potential for technological support for self-harm' (£3k), (Principal investigator)

‘Self-harm and suicide in children and young people research collaboration’ for GW4 (£4k), (Co-applicant)

Cardiff incoming visiting award, for Cardiff University (£5k), (Principal investigator)

‘Understanding the role of social media in the aftermath of youth suicides’ for Department of Health (£188,147) (Co-applicant)

‘The efficacy of the virtual support world for young people who self-harm and its use in ‘real’ world care: views of young self-harmers’ Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship for NISCHR (£160,185), (Principal investigator)

‘Understanding suicide: conversations with the bereaved’ PhD for ESRC (£50k), (Principal investigator)

 

Biography

Education and qualifications

PhD Social Science (Category 1), Cardiff University 2005 – 2008

MSc Social Science Research Methods, Cardiff University, 2004 – 2005

BSc Sociology (2:1), Cardiff University, 2000 – 2003

Professional memberships

The British Sociological Association (BSA)

Academic positions

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, DECIPHer, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University (2012- 2015)

Research Assistant (ESRC post-doctoral training fellowship in qualitative health research), DECIPHer, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol (2009 -2012)

Supervisions

Current PhD student:

Rosie Moore - Learning lessons: Informing suicide prevention from a documentary analysis of Child Practice Reviews and Adult Practice Reviews

I am interested in supervising students in the areas of:

  • implementation of complex interventions
  • qualitative research in population health
  • social context of suicide and self-harm 
  • family based interventions

Contact Details

Email JacobN@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29206 87264