As a research adviser for the NIHR Research Design Service, I provide methodological and other support to clinicians and academics as they develop their research applications for submission to NIHR and other national, competitive funding programmes. 

I have a clinical background in nursing and have worked as a research associate in an Evidence-Based Child Health Unit, helping to develop and embed an explicit evidence-based approach to clinical practice in an acute paediatric Trust, undertaking systematic reviews and developing national guidelines. My main research interests comprise systematic reviews in the fields of diet, medicines management and supportive care (including prevention and treatment of oral health problems, nausea and vomiting in patients with cancer, measuring temperature in children and infants, undesrtanding substance misuse in adults).   

Research Adviser, Research Design Service for the East of England, National Institute for Health Research

Professional Qualifications and professional memberships
 

2007 PhD, University of Liverpool

1998 MSc Nursing, University of Liverpool

1988 Registered Sick Children’s Nurse, Red Cross Children’s War Memorial Hospital, South Africa

1982 Registered General Nurse, BG Alexander College, Johannesburg, South Africa

Research Interests
 

Medicines management

Supportive care in children with cancer

Impact of nutrition on musculoskeletal health

Systematic review methods

Development of evidence-based guidelines 

Method comparison studies

Career summary
 

April 2010-present, Research Adviser, Research Design Service (RDS), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

January 1998 – March 2010: Research Associate, Evidence-Based Unit, Institute of Child Health, University of Liverpool

1995 - 1997: Care Pathways Co-ordinator for Cardiac and Cardiac Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Royal Liverpool Children’s NHS Trust

1992 - 1994: Paediatric Intensive Care Nurse, Royal Liverpool Children’s NHS Trust

1990 – 1992: Paediatric Nurse, St Thomas’ Hospital, London

1983 – 1992: Clinical Nurse, Acute Settings, Johannesburg General Hospital and Red Cross Children’s Hospital, South Africa

My research interests can be broadly grouped as follows
  
*   medicines management, in particular 

• the problems of administering safe doses to children where required dose forms are not available (NIHR funded suite of studies)
• the safe and effective delivery of medicines in any age group

*   nutritional impact on health

• the relationship between dietary pattern and musculoskeletal health

*   supportive care including:

• mouth care in children undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Cochrane systematic reviews, audits, national guidelines on mouthcare);
• the treatment and prevention of nausea and vomiting in children undergoing chemotherapy (Cochrane systematic review)
• temperature measurement in children (published in the Lancet and BMJ)
• understanding substance abuse in adults (systematic review of qualiative studies)

As a research adviser for the NIHR Research Design Service, I advise on a range of research methods, but have a particular interest in systematic review methods.

Selected publications
 

Richey RH, Craig JV, Shah UU, Ford JL, Barker CE, Peak M, Nunn AJ, Turner M. (2012) The manipulation of drugs to obtain the required dose: systematic review protocol. Journal of Advanced Nursing. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05916.x.

Glenny AM, Gibson F, Auld E, Coulon S, Clarkson JE, Craig JV, Eden OB, Worthington HV, Pizer B on behalf of the UKCCSG-PONF Mouth Care Group. (2010) The development of evidence-based guidelines on mouthcare for children, teenagers and young adults treated for cancer. European Journal of Cancer May;46(8):1399-412

Gibson F, Auld EM, Bryan G, Coulson S, Craig JV, Glenny A-M (2010) A systematic review of oral assessment instruments: what can we recommend to practitioners in children's and young people's cancer care? Cancer Nursing Jul-Aug;33(4):E1-E19.

Riley RD, Dodd SR, Craig JV, Thompson JR, Williamson PR. (2008) Meta-analysis of diagnostic test studies using individual patient data and aggregate data. Statistics in Medicine 27(29):6111-36

Craig JV, Smyth RL (Editors) (2012) The Evidence-Based Practice Manual for Nurses. Third Edition. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.