Mrs Jen Carroll

Programme lead for MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Paediatric Dietetics and MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Dietetics. 

Lecturer on BSc (hons) Dietetics where my clinical experience informs my approach to teaching, preparing students to bridge the gap between their academic background and a career in clinical practice. 

2016-2020 Placement Lead; coordinating our undergraduate clinical placement capacity and delivery including clinical supervisory skills training for practice educators across the South West.

Qualifications

Jen completed her honours degree in Nutritional Sciences at University College Cork, Ireland in 2006, then undertook a MSc in Dietetics at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh graduating in 2008. She went on to work as a dietitian in the NHS specialising in paediatric dietetics, developing expertise in a wide range of areas including neonatal medicine, gastroenterology, metabolic disorders and neurology, faltering growth, obesity, allergies, and respiratory. While working as a senior specialist paediatric dietitian at The University Hospitals of Leicester; Jen redesigned and led the dietetic ketogenic diet service providing a bespoke service for children with intractable epilepsy and metabolic disorders.

2018 present   PhD entitled 'Core Outcomes for Refractory childhood Epilepsy treated with Ketogenic Diet Therapy'.The CORE-KDT study. 

2016          PgCert in Higher Education (FHEA), University of Nottingham 

2013          PgCert Behaviour Change, University of Nottingham

2008          MSc Dietetics RD, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

2006          BSc (Hons) Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork Ireland

Professional membership

Registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) 

Member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA)

Member of the BDA Paediatric Specialist group 

Member of The Ketogenic Professional Advisory Group (KetoPAG)

Member of the Ketogenic Dietitians Research Network (KDRN)

Roles on external bodies

2015 present   BDA NICE group and Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition (PEN) Advisory Committee

2020 present   Co Publicist for the Ketogenic Dietitians Research Network 

Teaching interests

I teach a range of clinical and professional dietetic skills across the dietetics programme with particular interest in paediatric dietetics, neurology (use of ketogenic diet therapy), communication skills and behaviour change. I supervise MSc student projects; supporting students to achieve their research goals. 

Module lead 

DIET503 'Dietetics in Practice 1'

ADV741: Nutrition and Dietetics in Infancy and Childhood 

ADV742: Nutrition and Dietetics in Common Paediatric Disorders 

ADV743: Clinical Dietetics for Infants and Children

ADV720: Dietetic Management of Inherited Metabolic Disorders

ADV744: Neonatal Nutrition

ADV749: Dietetic Supported Study (pathway lead) 

Research interests

My research area of interest is the use of ketogenic diet therapy for neurological conditions but predominantly childhood epilepsy.

I am leading a study to develop a set of Core Outcomes for Refractory childhood Epilepsy treated with Ketogenic Diet Therapy (CORE-KDT). The study will identify core outcomes to be measured in clinical effectiveness trials but will also guide health care professionals when undertaking audit or service evaluation in clinical practice. Parents, health care professionals and relevant charities will be consulted to ensure the core outcome set reflects the interests of all and facilitates future decision making. 

A list of outcomes commonly used in the literature has been identified via a scoping review. Interviews with 20 parents and caregivers to a child with epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet have identified the outcomes of importance to them, including new outcomes not previously identified in the scoping review. 

Recruitment is ongoing for the final phase (launch October 2020) Delphi Survey of parents, care givers, healthcare professionals and researchers to agree a core set of outcomes for childhood epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet. 

Find out more here:  http://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/1116

CORE-KDT Study webpage: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/core-kdt 

Other research

Pedagogic research interest

Dietetic and Speach therapy students readiness and attitudes towards inter professional learning. 

Grants & contracts

2019 British Dietetic Association General and Education Trust Fund £8574