Jennifer Bowman

Professor Jennifer Bowman is a distinguished academic serving as Professor and Acting Head of School in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia. With over a decade of leadership experience, she directs the Physical Health in Mental Illness (PHiMI) research team, which addresses critical health disparities faced by people with mental health conditions. Her academic contributions span research, teaching, and professional service within the university and broader community.

Professor Bowman's research focuses on physical health equity for people with mental health conditions, specifically targeting chronic disease preventive care. Her work addresses the 12-15 year reduced life expectancy experienced by this population, largely due to cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, and cancers. The PHiMI research team employs diverse methodologies from descriptive and formative research to rigorous intervention studies, with emphasis on translating findings into practice. Her research spans smoking cessation, nutrition, alcohol use, physical activity, and sleep interventions specifically tailored for mental health settings.

Her extensive publication record demonstrates consistent research productivity, with numerous articles in high-impact journals covering implementation science, health psychology, and chronic disease prevention for people with mental illness. Her work shows a clear progression from identifying health disparities to developing and evaluating evidence-based interventions that can be implemented in real-world settings.

Professor Bowman holds significant professional roles including:

• Member of ESTER advisory committee (Cancer Institute NSW)
• Ambassador for the Equally Well Alliance
• HMRI Fellow Affiliate within the Population Health Research Program
• Former President of the Australasian Society for Behavioural Health and Medicine
• Associate editor for the International Journal of Behavioural Medicine (4 years)

Her research is highly translational, developed in partnership with relevant stakeholders including the Prevention Centre, NSW Mental Health Commission, Flourish Australia, Cancer Institute NSW, and multiple Local Health Districts. This collaborative approach ensures both scientific value and relevance to health policy and practice, with potential for significant population impact. The PHiMI team's work bridges the gap between mental and physical healthcare, addressing a critical but often overlooked aspect of mental health service delivery.

Professor Bowman leads research that directly addresses the implementation of evidence-based practices in mental health settings, with particular focus on building the capacity of mental health services to provide best practice chronic disease preventive care. Her work emphasizes co-development with end-users to ensure interventions are sustainable and scalable across different service contexts.