Dr Rebecca Russell MBChB Hons, MA (Cantab), MPH (Dist), FFPH, PGCert Med Ed, FHEA

Dr Rebecca Russell

Institute of Applied Health Research
Clinical Assistant Professor in Public Health

Contact details

Address
Murray Learning Centre
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Rebecca Russell is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Public Health. She teaches on a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as supporting the local Public Health registrar training scheme.

Rebecca previously trained in both Psychology and Psychiatry, before entering Public Health training, and she retains a strong interest in Public Mental Health alongside her medical education work.

Qualifications

  • Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health 2024
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 2021
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education, University of Birmingham 2021
  • Masters in Public Health (Dist), University of Birmingham 2018
  • Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatry 2014
  • MBChB (Hons) University of Birmingham 2009
  • BA (Hons) Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge 2002

Biography

Rebecca Russell initially studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, where she took her finals in Experimental Psychology. This led to her working for three years as an Assistant Psychologist, including work clinically with an Early Intervention in Psychosis team and research into alcoholic liver disease amongst liver transplant patients.

However, Rebecca always felt drawn to medical training, and decided to undertake a graduate entry medical degree. Throughout this she retained her interest in mental health, and subsequently entered Psychiatry training. Throughout her medical training she supported the education of medical students and more junior colleagues, which she really enjoyed. However, within psychiatry itself she felt more drawn to the strategic and leadership aspects, and so decided to leave psychiatry training after 3 ½ years to pursue public health.

Rebecca trained in public health in the West Midlands from 2018. Training included time at the University of Birmingham, where she developed her medical education experience, taking lead roles in both the Medical School and postgraduate courses. Rebecca also retained her interest in mental health, undertaking a final training placement at Sandwell Local Authority where she acted as portfolio lead for Public Mental Health.

Rebecca’s role within the University incorporates Public Health leadership for the MBChB programme and preparing local training registrars for the Faculty of Public Health’s diplomate examination. She teaches and supervises students across a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes relevant to Public Health.

Teaching

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Russell, R, Minhas, S, Chandan, JS, Subramanian, A, McCarthy, N & Nirantharakumar, K 2023, 'The risk of all-cause mortality associated with Anxiety: A retrospective cohort study using ‘The Health Improvement Network’ database', BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 1, 400. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04877-8

Chandan, J, Thomas, T, Bradbury-Jones, C, Russell, R, Bandyopadhyay, S, Nirantharakumar, K & Taylor, J 2020, 'Female survivors of intimate partner violence and risk of depression, anxiety and serious mental illness', British Journal of Psychiatry , vol. 217, no. 4, pp. 562-567. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2019.124

Jackson, C, Trower, P, Reid, I, Smith, J, Hall, M, Townend, M, Barton, K, Jones, J, Ross, K, Russell, R, Newton, E, Dunn, G & Birchwood, M 2009, 'Improving psychological adjustment following a first episode of psychosis: A randomised controlled trial of cognitive therapy to reduce post psychotic trauma symptoms', Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 454-462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2009.02.009

Day, E, Best, D, Sweeting, R, Russell, R, Webb, K, Georgiou, G & Neuberger, J 2009, 'Predictors of psychological morbidity in liver transplant assessment candidates: is alcohol abuse or dependence a factor?', Transplant international, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 606-614. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1432-2277.2009.00835.x

Day, E, Best, D, Sweeting, R, Russell, R, Webb, K, Georgiou, G & Neuberger, J 2008, 'Detecting Lifetime Alcohol Problems in Individuals Referred for Liver Transplantation for Nonalcoholic Liver Failure', Liver Transplantation, vol. 14, no. 11, pp. 1609-1613. https://doi.org/10.1002/lt.21528

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