Clare Jinks

Biography

I am a Social Scientist by background and have extensive experience of applied health and care research as a mixed methodologist. I joined Keele University in 1991 following an undergraduate degree in Social Policy and Administration at Brighton. I worked on a variety of research projects funded by West Midlands Regional Health Authority and undertook my MPhil at Keele (1995) investigating experiences of clinicians and health service managers implementing the internal market in mental health care. My PhD, also undertaken at Keele (2002), was an epidemiological study investigating the burden of knee pain in older adults living in the community. Since my PhD I have focused on developing a programme of applied osteoarthritis (OA) research in four linked areas investigating: the population burden and lived experience of joint pain; patterns and experiences of health care use; risk factors for onset and progression of OA; and interventions to optimise primary care management and self-management. I co-lead Keele's osteoarthritis research programme and I am a member of Keele's Osteoporosis Research Group. I have mixed methods expertise (epidemiology, qualitative and randomised controlled trials (RCTs)) with a particular interest in mixed methods integration. I lead Keele's Methods Hub.

I am current Research Director in the School of Medicine. I have various roles within the National Institute for Health Research. I am a member of the NIHR Team Science funding panel and from August 2025 I became Chair of the NIHR Incubator for Applied Health and Care Methodology: https://methodologyincubator.org.uk/ and https://www.nihr.ac.uk/applied-health-and-care-research-methodology-incubator

Research and scholarship

I have extensive experience of development and evaluation of interventions to improve health of people living with pain conditions, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in primary care. I have mixed methods research expertise, drawing on theories from both social and behavioural sciences to understand and improve health and health care.

Change Osteoarthritis Narrative Initiative

I established and co-lead an international initiative call Change Osteoarthritis Narrative Initiative (COAN). COAN is an international network of individuals with a shared interest in changing societal perceptions of Osteoarthritis. Our work is focussed on shifting away from the current impairment discourse to a participatory discourse so conversations and consultations can lead to better uptake of evidence based care.

Launch of COAN at the Joint Effort Initiative Discussion Group at OARSI 2024.

Join COAN

Scan QR code to join COAN:

If you would like to know more about COAN please contact: Dr Samantha Bunzli s.bunzli@griffith.edu.au or Professor Clare Jinks c.jinks@keele.ac.uk.

Recent grants

Pump priming the Change Osteoarthritis Narrative Initiative. Academy of Medical Sciences Network Grant

Optimising Prescribing in care homes Using pharmacogenomicS: a mixed methods exploratory study (The OPUS Study). NIHR Programme Development Grant

BADGER Defining an evidence Base for the use of Advice and GuidancE Referrals (BADGER) – a mixed methods study.  NIHR HS&DR 23/18 https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR158681

PROvision of braces for Patients with knee OsteoArthritis (PROP OA): a randomised controlled trial. NIHR Award ID: 16/160/03 https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/16/160/03

Improving outcomes for patients with opioid-treated persistent non-cancer pain: a proactive clinical pharmacist-led primary care intervention (PROMPPT). Award ID: RP-PG-0617-20005 https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/RP-PG-0617-20005

Explaining osteoarthritis: development and implementation of a multimedia Patient Explanation Package (PEP-OA). NIHR Research for Patient Benefit.  Award ID: PB-PG-0817-20031

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/PB-PG-0817-20031

Improving uptake of Fracture Prevention Treatments (iFRAP): Development and evaluation of a consultation intervention. NIHR Clinician Scientist for Dr Zoe Paskins. (Mentor for Z Paskins). Award ID: CS-2018-18-ST2-010 https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/CS-2018-18-ST2-010

SYMPHONI: Systems approach to Mental and Physical Health in people with lONg-term conditIons. NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands (I&I initiative)

Personalised Primary care for Patients with Multimorbidity (PP4M) – a primary care service improvement initiative. NIHR ARC National Multimorbidity call https://arc-em.nihr.ac.uk/research/explore-our-research/personalised-primary-care-patients-multimorbidity-pp4m

Multi-centre randomised open-label assessor-blinded two arm parallel group trial of subcutaneous versus oral methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with internal feasibility assessment, economic evaluation and qualitative study. Award ID: NIHR132711 https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR132711

How can understanding of DXA scans among primary care practitioners & patients be optimized to potentially increase treatment uptake? Royal Osteoporosis Society

PhD projects completed

The Role of the Media in Influencing Perceptions of Osteoporosis and its Treatment. Rosie Turner (Versus Arthritis PhD Fellowship) 2025.

COmbining brief interventions for Modifiable health Behaviours withIN a physiotherapy consultation for pEople with a rotator cuff Disorder: development and testing in a single-arm feasibility study (COMBINED) Julie Bury (NIHR Doctoral Fellowship) 2025

Osteoarthritis and Comorbidity: A mulit-method study. Sarah McKevitt (Keele University funded) 2020

Media constructions of Arthritis: A mixed methods qualitative study. Rebecca Rowley (Keele University funded) 2016

Determinants of consulting the general practitioner for joint pain/OA: a conjoint analysis study. Dominica Coxon. (Keele University funded) 2012

Understanding help seeking for chronic joint pain (Keele University funded) Andrew Morden (2012)

PhD projects ongoing

Using Qualitative Research to Inform Decision Making in Pilot Trials (QUID) (Keele University funded) Matilda Bjorklund

Understanding and addressing the osteoporosis treatment gap in United Kingdom primary care: a mixed methods study. Ashley Hawarden (Versus Arthritis Clinical Research Fellowship)

Osteoarthritis flares in primary care: developing information resources to support self-management. Joanna Simkins NIHR School for Primary Care Research funded

Further information

National Funding Panel Membership:

• National Institute for Health and Care Research. Team Science Panel (April 2024-)
• Royal Osteoporosis Research and Innovation Grants Assessment Panel (RIGAP) (2023-)
• National Institute for Health and Care Research. Research for Patient Benefit Panel (Methodologist themed call) 2023.
• National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) sub-panel Committee (2018-2022). (Expert Methodologist)
• Versus Arthritis Clinical Research Fellowship Panel (2020)
• Versus Arthritis Foundation Fellowship Panel (2018-19)
• National Institute for Health Research. School for Primary Care Launching Fellowships Panel (Chair) (2019)
• UK Chartered Society for Physiotherapy Charitable Trust Scientific Panel (2009 - 2013).