Brendan Stone

Professor Brendan Stone holds the position of Professor of Social Engagement and the Humanities at the University of Sheffield and serves as Deputy Vice-President for Education. His work uniquely bridges academic scholarship with practical applications in mental health services, social care, and community engagement. Stone maintains active roles as a Non-Executive Director for Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Trust and Director of Sheffield Flourish, a mental health charity, while leading national initiatives through NHS England.

Stone's research centers on the interplay between narrative, identity, and trauma, with deep expertise in mental distress and recovery frameworks. His work integrates dystopian fiction, critical theory, and engaged pedagogies to develop real-world interventions. Projects like IWUN (Improving Wellbeing Through Urban Nature) and Stories of Change demonstrate his commitment to co-produced methodologies that amplify service-user voices in health and social care strategy development. His unconventional academic journey—returning to education in his mid-thirties after leaving school at 16—informs his focus on widening participation and equality.

Stone's publication history reveals a consistent trajectory from theoretical explorations of madness and narrative (2004-2008) toward applied clinical research (2017-2018), particularly in epilepsy, psychogenic seizures, and therapeutic writing interventions. His work consistently crosses psychology, neurology, and literary studies, demonstrating how narrative methodologies can address health inequalities and improve patient experiences through community-engaged approaches.

Key recognitions include:

• National Teaching Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2012)
• University of Sheffield Senate Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
• Academic and Health Science Network's Excellence in Patient Experience award (2017)

Stone has supervised interdisciplinary PhD projects spanning English, Medicine, and Social Work, including Vicky Grant's research on IBS patient autonomy and Gregg Rawlings' epilepsy writing intervention trial. His grant portfolio features major initiatives like the IWUN project (funded across multiple disciplines), Big Lottery-funded 'Fulfilling Lives' program, Hefce Catalyst projects on interdisciplinary research, and HEE-funded health inequality studies.

As founder and co-director of Storying Sheffield, Stone leads community narrative projects connecting university students with marginalized populations. He actively contributes to Medical Humanities Sheffield and the Institute for Mental Health, while his NHS England role shapes national policy on restrictive interventions in mental healthcare through service-user co-production models.