Jo Daniels

Dr Jo Daniels is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath. She holds an honorary clinical psychologist role at North Bristol NHS Trust since 2011. Her research focuses on anxiety and psychophysiology in complex medical conditions, including chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME), and the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work addresses healthcare policy development, emergency medicine workforce wellbeing, and patient-centered care innovations.

Dr Daniels earned her Doctor of Clinical Psychology from the University of Manchester in 2009, focusing on illness cognitions in CFS/ME treatment. She leads multidisciplinary projects including UKRI Policy Fellowships addressing healthcare workforce retention and the ELE-Stress initiative developing adaptive XR therapy for occupational stress. Her research has informed NHS policy via collaborations with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and NHS Employers.

Key research themes include psychological distress in frontline medical staff, health anxiety measurement in clinical settings, and systemic solutions to improve emergency department care quality. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and secured grants totaling £multi-million. Notable awards include the 2025 Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the 2023 Society of Occupational Medicine’s Outstanding Contribution Award.

Her recent projects emphasize translating research into practice, such as the Psychologically Informed Practice and Policy (PIPP) Project’s four policy recommendations for NHS retention strategies. Active in public engagement, she has given over 20 talks, media interviews, and policy briefings on topics like physician mental health and pandemic recovery.