Dr Jo Neary is an interdisciplinary qualitative researcher with an overall interest in social justice, specifically in how social policy addresses, or exacerbates, issues of public health, wellbeing, and deprivation, in urban contexts. Her work spans education, urban studies, and public health, but has also been influenced by teachings in human geography and sociology.

She is interested in participatory and longitudinal methodologies, collaborative action research, and how to translating research into policy. Her work has seen her engaging with populations who are often missing from policy dialogues: children and young people, and older people. In addition to this, Jo is interested in wellbeing and safety of researchers during, and after, fieldwork periods, and has run several successful events on this topic. Specifically, she is interested in issues of vicarious trauma, and developing supportive mechanisms in institutions.

She joined the Robert Owen Centre in September 2019, where she works on NSEE (Network for Social & Educational Equity) to explore the utility of collaboration and teacher-led inquiry to promote whole school change. She is also a research associate in the Children’s Neighbourhood Scotland.