Medical Sociologist | Educator | Dementia Researcher| Conversation Analyst
Danielle is a medical sociologist and experienced dementia researcher, specialising in qualitative methodologies with a particular focus on Conversation Analysis. Her research spans family communication in the context of dementia and the complex interactions between healthcare professionals, people living with dementia, and their companions. Danielle has a portfolio of research projects exploring how clinicians communicate dementia risk, brain health and health promotion across diverse healthcare settings. She is an active member of the INTERDEM Dementia Prevention Taskforce, the Brain Health Coalition and the International Society for Conversation Analysis (ISCA). She serves on the organising committee of the Qualitative Dementia Research Network (DemiQual), reflecting her strong commitment to national and international research collaboration.
Danielle plays a key leadership role in shaping dementia education within the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies and the wider Faculty of Health Studies at the University of Bradford. She has previously led both the BSc Dementia Studies and MSc Advanced Dementia Studies programmes and is currently Programme Lead for the Postgraduate Certificate for Practitioners with Advanced or Extended Roles in Dementia.
An advocate for co-production and inclusive education, Danielle recently co-designed and delivered a groundbreaking postgraduate module, Understanding the Me in Dementia, in collaboration with 22 people living with dementia. This module is the first of its kind, developed entirely from the outset by people with lived experience of dementia. It has gained national recognition, being:
• Commended for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Teaching and Learning Excellence’ at the University of Bradford Outstanding Achievement Awards 2024
• Finalist in the Dementia Care Awards 2024 – Living Well with Dementia: Co-production and Partnership category
• Runner-up at the National INSIGHT Public Involvement Quality Recognition and Awards 2024 Leading category
• Shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community at the Times Higher Education Awards 2024
Danielle is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an active member of the Higher Education Dementia Network (HEDN), demonstrating her ongoing commitment to pedagogical innovation, inclusive practice, and the integration of research and teaching. She provides mentorship to early career researchers and teaching staff, and supervises PhD students working on a range of dementia-related topics, supporting the development of future leaders in the field. Her work has had meaningful real-world impact, informing clinical practice, shaping national conversations around dementia risk and brain health, and contributing to the development of more inclusive, person-centred approaches to care and education. Through collaborative, co-produced initiatives, Danielle continues to ensure that the voices of people living with dementia are central to both academic and applied dementia practice.
I am a qualitative researcher and conversation analyst, with specialist expertise in medical and social care communication involving people living with dementia and those at-risk of dementia. My research focuses on how communication practices shape care, with particular interest in dementia risk communication, health promotion, and the role of healthcare professionals in supporting brain health. I am especially interested in how conversations about dementia risk are conducted, how they are understood by patients and families, and how these interactions influence engagement with prevention and support services.
My past research has included leading and contributing to several major NIHR-funded studies. I was Chief Investigator on the Communicating the Risk of Dementia (CoRD) project, which explored how dementia risk is communicated to patients in both primary and secondary care settings. I also collaborated on an NIHR RfPB project exploring the complexities of differential diagnosis in dementia and the communicative practices which can aid in diagnosis. In addition, I contributed to a NIHR RfSC study examining social care encounters involving people with dementia, offering insights into the everyday communicative dynamics of community-based support. While these studies have concluded, but they continue to inform my current research and educational work.
I am a member of the INTERDEM Dementia Prevention Taskforce, contributing to international dialogue around dementia risk reduction. I work closely with collaborators across the UK and internationally to strengthen the evidence base for dementia prevention and brain health, including partnerships with academic institutions, NHS Trusts, third-sector organisations, and other stakeholders. This includes ongoing consultation with a Japan-based network focused on dementia care, contributing UK perspectives and expertise to global discussions on community support, communication, and care integration.
Currently, I lead a collaborative project with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust investigating the landscape of secondary dementia prevention. This work aims to identify optimal commissioning pathways, service structures, and processes for the development of effective and integrated Brain Health Services in the UK. More broadly, I remain committed to research that explores how dementia risk and brain health are communicated across different care settings and among underserved populations.
I also lead a programme of education-focused research exploring how dementia education can enhance the knowledge, confidence, and preparedness of healthcare professionals across disciplines. As part of this work, I have led interdisciplinary projects with Paramedic Sciences and Diagnostic Radiography, and I supervise and mentor junior researchers and staff working in this field. My research leadership is grounded in a strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, working across academic, healthcare, and community sectors. Through these national and international partnerships, I ensure that my research is responsive, practice-informed, co-produced and impactful, contributing meaningfully to improvements in dementia care, communication, and professional education.
Danielle is passionate about advancing dementia education and fostering meaningful change in dementia care. Over the past decade, she has played a central leadership role in the design, delivery, and strategic development of dementia education at the University of Bradford. Her teaching practice is dedicated to creating research-informed, innovative, and stakeholder-engaged curricula that empower the dementia care workforce with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to provide high-quality, person-centred care.
Danielle takes a leading role in shaping dementia education within the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies, where she has contributed significantly to programme development and pedagogical innovation. She was instrumental in the creation and relaunch of the MSc Advanced Dementia Studies programme in 2018, where she acted as education and programme lead during its development and conception. In this role, she oversaw curriculum design, led the University’s programme approval and quality assurance processes, and developed innovative distance learning content. She also led on student attainment monitoring, marketing, recruitment, admissions, and induction. She created several core modules within the programme, including Evidence-Based Dementia Practice and Leading Change in Practice (the dissertation module), and continues to supervise MSc dissertations.
She is the current Programme Lead for the Postgraduate Certificate for Practitioners with Advanced or Extended Roles in Dementia, the first course of its kind in England. This pioneering programme supports healthcare professionals working in diagnostic and post-diagnostic dementia services, equipping them with high-level skills in assessment, diagnosis, clinical management, and ongoing support for people living with dementia and their carers.
A strong advocate for inclusive and co-produced education, Danielle recently led the development of Understanding the Me in Dementia, a unique, award-winning postgraduate module created entirely in collaboration with 22 people living with dementia. Delivered as part of the MSc Advanced Dementia Studies, this groundbreaking module has been nationally recognised for its innovation, excellence, and real-world impact.
In addition to her leadership within postgraduate education, Danielle plays a key role in embedding dementia education across the Faculty of Health Studies. She leads on dementia-related teaching within the BSc Paramedic Sciences programme and contributes to the Clinical Sciences curriculum, where she delivers sessions on communication skills. Drawing on her methodological expertise in Conversation Analysis, Danielle supports students to develop effective and evidence-informed communication practices in both dementia care and wider clinical contexts.
Current Teaching Roles
Programme Lead: Postgraduate Certificate for Practitioners with Advanced or Extended Roles in Dementia
Module Leader: Understanding the Me in Dementia (MSc Advanced Dementia Studies), Assessment and diagnosis in dementia (PG Cert for practitioners with advanced or extended roles in dementia).
MSc Dissertation Supervisor: MSc Advanced Dementia Studies
PhD Supervisor:
1. Amanda Briggs – Co-designing and evaluating simulation as an approach to delivering dementia education for student nurses
2. Dan Kelleher – Developing and evaluating dementia care training for the UK homecare workforce: A process evaluation of the NIDUS-Professional dementia training intervention for paid homecare professionals.
3.Mia Coe – Exploring the Role of Heritage and Memorialisation in Developing Historical Trauma Support for Ageing Survivors: A Case Study of the Valley Parade Fire
4. Vidhya Kaleeswaran (Advisory Panel) – Assessing South Indian nurses’ knowledge, skills, confidence and attitudes in caring for patients with dementia in the UK.
5. Emily Spencer (External Collaborator – UCL / Alzheimer’s Society) – Advance Care Planning in Dementia: Improving GP Consultations and Development of a Support Programme for General Practitioners (Consult-GP).
Jones, D., Jackson, C., Wilkinson, R (2024) Dementia and Language: The lived experience in interaction. In P. Muntigl, C. Plejert, D. Jones editor(s) Cambridge University Press. 25-49.
Jones, D (2024) Dementia and Language: The lived experience in interaction. In P. Muntigl, C. Plejert, D. Jones editor(s) Cambridge University Press. 269-291.
Muntigl, P., Jones, D., Plejert, C. (2024) Dementia and Language: The lived experience in interaction. In P. Muntigl, C. Plejert, D. Jones editor(s) Cambridge University Press. 3-24.
Plejert, C; Jones. D and Peel, E (2017) Life with Dementia: Relations, Responses and Agency in Everyday Life. Palgrave Macmillan.
Chatwin, J, Ludwin, K, Jones, D, Bravington, A (2024) PLoS ONE.
Danielle Jones;Clare Mason;Ian Davies Abbott;Felicity slocombe;Ana Barbosa (2025) Journal of Dementia Care. 22, 20-26.
Clare Mason;Ana Barbosa;Danielle Jones;Michael Andrews;Andrea Capstick (2025) Health Expectations.
Ekberg, K, Beach, WA, Jones, D (2024) Research on Language and Social Interaction. 57, 38-54.
Berry, E., McNally, C., Mason, C., Barbosa, A., Jones, D. (2024) Radiography.
Jones, D., Capstick, A., Faisal, M., Frankland, J (2023) British Paramedic Journal.
Jones, D., Drewery, R., Windle, K., Humphrey, S., De Paiva, A., (2023) British Journal of General Practice.
Jones, Danielle K.; Wilkinson, R.; Jackson, C.; Drew, P. (2020) Qualitative Health Research. 30
Reuber, M.; Blackburn, D.; Elsey, C.; Wakefield, S.; Ardern, K.; Harkness, K.; Venneri, A.; Jones, Danielle K.; Shaw, C.; Drew, P. (2018) Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders. 32
Jones, Danielle K.; Drew, P.; Elsey, C.; Blackburn, D.; Wakefield, S.; Harkness, K.; Reuber, M. (2016) Aging and Mental Health. 20
Elsey, C.; Drew, P.; Jones, Danielle K.; Blackburn, D.; Wakefield, S.; Harkness, K.; Venneri, A.; Reuber, M. (2015) Patient Education and Counseling. 98
Jones, Danielle K. (2015) DEMENTIA (PRINT). 14
Jackson, C and Jones, D (2013) Journal of Pragmatics. 47
Kitzinger, C & Jones, D (2007) Feminism and Psychology. 17