Meet Professor Debbie Jarvis: Head of Section with NHLI

Professor Debbie Jarvis has taken over from Professor Sir Anthony Newman-Taylor as the head of the Genomic and Environmental Medicine Section in NHLI.

Professor Debbie Jarvis has taken over as Head of Section from Professor Sir Anthony Newman-Taylor within the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) as of the 1st August 2020.

"Our research, teaching and outreach is important and contributes to a successful society – but it should also be enjoyable, and, dare I say, fun" Professor Debbie Jarvis

Professor Jarvis worked in clinical medicine for several years in the UK and overseas and then trained in public health in South East Thames. During her training she worked with Professor Peter Burney on the European Community Respiratory Health Survey and on completion continued to study the epidemiology of asthma, allergy and lung function within the context of major international population based studies. 

Anthony Newman-Taylor, who has been a Head of Section for six years, comments on Debbie's appointment "I am delighted Debbie has agreed to be Head of Section. The Section has many talented researchers whose work covers genomic medicine, public health, infectious disease, and occupational disease. They are very collaborative in their research and were a pleasure to lead".

Professor Jarvis led the EU H2020-funded Ageing Lungs in European Cohorts project, is cohort theme lead within the MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health and a member of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution. She is Associate Editor for Thorax.

I caught up with Professor Debbie Jarvis to find out more about her and her plans for the future at NHLI.

 What is your research about?

The main focus on my research over the last few years has been in the conduct of large scale population based surveys looking at the lifestyle and environmental (indoor, outdoor and occupational) factors that influence whether adults have or develop allergy, asthma and COPD. I have been really lucky to work with colleagues in different research centres across Europe and elsewhere to collect the primary data on about 10,000 adults who we have followed for over twenty years. Our aim now is to complete the 30 year follow-up of our cohort. The absolute highlight was leading a consortium of child and adult cohorts to examine the entire lifecourse and the evolution of lung function– high quality research, working with brilliant epidemiologists and statisticians and a happy, collaborative research team.

Have you been involved in any aspects of NHLI outside of research?

I am one of the Senior Tutors in the School of Medicine which runs all the undergraduate medicine programmes across Imperial including training the next generation of doctors – being a senior tutor fulfils an important welfare role. In today’s world young adults face many challenges and difficulties and medical students are no exception. Students are encouraged to come and see me to discuss difficulties they may be facing - these can be wide ranging and may include their own physical or mental health, their families health, financial problems, stress and exam failure, disabilities, being a victim of crime. Together we identify the support that they need to remain happy and successful. I work alongside other Senior Tutors and was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Dr Mike Schachter, who established the tutoring system. I have to say here how much I will miss him and his wise words and experience.

Over the years I have sat on various scientific committees, including the Department of Health scientific advisory Committee for Medical Effects of Air Pollution, and Public Health Advisory Committee for the Indoor environment at NICE – although they can involve considerable additional work outside my core research they have a vital public health function to establish evidence based policies to protect the health of communities and reduce health inequalities. I enjoy these committees because you meet people from so many different disciplines and learn so much by hearing about other people’s perspectives on the same problem. 

What areas of research does your Section cover? 

Looked at as a whole the Genomic and Environmental Medicine Section has a diverse research agenda within respiratory health, and is very multidisciplinary with many major international collaborations. We are interested in disease that impacts the general population and workforce - looking at how to treat people, but also how to predict who is more susceptible by looking at the genetic basis of disease. The health conditions we investigate include asthma, allergy, COPD, respiratory infections, interstitial fibrosis, occupational lung disease and lung cancer including mesothelioma - and this list is not exhaustive! We have world leaders in cutting edge laboratory based ‘omics’, infectious disease, occupational and respiratory epidemiology, medical statistics and big data analysis using electronic health records.

Of late some of our Section’s researchers have repurposed elements of their research effort to COVID-19 related studies. I never cease to be amazed at the breadth and depth of the work conducted within the Section.

Who inspires you?

So many people – and there are different reasons for different people. I am inspired by those with high levels of critical thinking, knowledge and experience – and by anyone who can conduct their work with a healthy dose of wit and humour. Our research, teaching and outreach is important and contributes to a successful society – but it should also be enjoyable, and, dare I say, fun. 

What do you foresee as the biggest advances within Public Health in the next 25 years?

Healthy ageing, reducing health inequalities and a sustainable healthy environment - but progress in these areas is inevitably going to be hindered by the current COVID-19 pandemic – we must ensure that the ‘non-COVID’ health research infrastructure is maintained and developed during these difficult times.

Find out more about the research by the Genomic and Environmental Medicine Section at NHLI.