Based at the University of Edinburgh, Jean is the Communications Officer for the Inflammation and Immunity Research Driver Programme. Jean’s work focuses on translating complex data and scientific findings into accessible, impactful narratives. This involves coordinating with researchers, healthcare professionals, and public stakeholders to highlight advances in respiratory and inflammatory disease research.

She creates and curates content for various channels — social media, blog posts, press releases, and community outreach events — to showcase how the programme’s findings can address global health challenges like asthma and other inflammation-mediated conditions. Jean brings her expertise in strategic communications to increase public awareness of the programme’s goals, especially the potential for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Jean also works in science communications for the Row Fogo Centre for Research into Ageing and the Brain, based within the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Her role involves strategic outreach and public engagement, focusing on effectively communicating research on cerebral small vessel disease to diverse audiences.

Previously, Jean worked in science communications and trial recruitment for the Clinical Trials Unit at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Research, University of Oxford. She was the communication lead for several major primary care trials such as the PANORAMIC and PRINCIPLE trials.

Jean has a background in English Literature, History and History of Art. In 2018, she was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford, where she completed a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature. She is in the process of completing a second Master’s degree in Global and Imperial History, focusing on the history of eugenics in New Zealand.

Outside of her academic and professional roles, Jean is also known for her advocacy in mental health and suicide prevention. She has been actively involved with New Zealand’s Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust, raising funds and awareness in honor of her brother. She has been a columnist for the Otago Daily Times for over seven years, and has written for a number of other publications, such as The New Zealand Herald, Nexus Magazine, and Critic te Arohi.