Rate My Professor Jennifer Bowman

Professor Jennifer Bowman is a Professor in the School of Psychological Sciences within the School of Science, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, at the University of Newcastle, Australia, where she serves as Acting Head of School. She earned her PhD, Bachelor of Science (Honours), and Master of Psychology (Clinical) from the University of Newcastle. A registered health psychologist and member of the Australian Psychological Society's College of Health Psychologists, Bowman's research centers on health psychology, with a primary focus on physical health equity for people with mental health conditions. She addresses the 12-15 year reduced life expectancy due to chronic diseases by targeting risk behaviors including smoking, nutrition, alcohol use, physical activity, and sleep. Since 2010, she has led the Physical Health in Mental Illness (PHiMI) research team, utilizing cross-sectional surveys, qualitative studies, systematic reviews, and intervention trials to develop strategies for implementing evidence-based preventive care in mental health services and tailoring specialist services for this population. Her fields of research include mental health services, health psychology, and implementation science and evaluation.

Bowman has held prominent leadership positions, including a two-year term as President of the Australasian Society for Behavioural Health and Medicine (ASBHM), 10 years on its executive, and multiple roles chairing its annual conference organising and programme committees. She is an HMRI Fellow Affiliate in the Population Health Research Program, an Ambassador for the Equally Well Alliance (National Mental Health Commission), a member of the ESTER advisory committee (Cancer Institute NSW), and various societies such as the Public Health Association of Australia, Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand, and Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. She served as Associate Editor for the International Journal of Behavioural Medicine for four years and has peer-reviewed for journals including Nicotine and Tobacco Research and Implementation Science. Key publications include 'Integrating Digital Solutions for Suicide Prevention: Exploring Mental Health Professionals' Practices and Perspectives on e-Mental Health Tools for Suicide Prevention' (2024), 'Dementia risk reduction: what do young adults know and what are they doing about it?' (2024), 'Use of e-Mental Health for Suicide Prevention in Clinical Practice: a Cross Sectional Survey of Mental Health Professionals in NSW, Australia' (2024), 'Evaluating the effectiveness of a clinical practice change intervention in increasing clinician provision of preventive care in a network of community-based mental health services' (2013), and 'The potential role of Community Managed Organisations in reducing behavioural risk factors for chronic disease among people with a mental health condition' (2021). Her collaborations extend internationally, including with the UK National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training.