- SF11, Pennisula Allied Health Centre, Derriford Road, Plymouth, PL6 8BH
- +44 1752 588826
- jennifer.carroll@plymouth.ac.uk

Profiles
Mrs Jen Carroll
Honorary Research Fellow
School of Health Professions (Faculty of Health)
Biography
Biography
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
Teaching
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
Research
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
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Joshi, M., Kearns, J., Wilford, E., Hussain, N., & Khan, A. (2016) Effectiveness of ketogenic diet to reduce seizure related acute paediatric admissions in children with Epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 58, (Suppl. 1), 43 (abstract)
Storer L.C.D., Darren, A., Paine, S.M.L, Kearns, J., Layfield, R., Walker, D.A. & Grundy, R.G. (2016) Ketolytic and glycolytic enzymatic expression in paediatric ependymomas: implications for ketogenic diet therapy. Neuro Oncol. 18 (suppl.3), 32 (abstract)
Westran, N., Kearns, J. & McCullough, F. (2016) A service evaluation of parental satisfaction within a new paediatric ketogenic diet service. J Hum Nutr Diet. 29 (Suppl.1), 22 (abstract)
Malinson, A.L., Wisdom, F.O., Carroll, J.H. & Pearse, L.Y. (2020) An experiential, case-based model of interprofessional learning at university improves measures of perceived competence for SLT & dietetic students. (8th UK Swallowing Research Group Conference UCL 2020)
Whitely, V.J., Martin-McGill, K.J., Carroll, J., Taylor, H. & Schoeler, N. on behalf of the Ketogenic Dietitians Research Network. (2017) Nice to know: impact of NICE guidelines on ketogenic diet services nationwide. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 50 (suppl.S4):pp 84 (poster)
Baker, H., Ryan, H.L., Kearns, J. & Jethwa, P.H. (2016) Is the ketogenic diet a feasible treatment option for neurological diseases: a scoping review. (Alzheimer's Research UK Confernece 2016)
Kearns, J. (2014) Clinical Guideline on the Dietary Management of Children with Intractable epilepsy treated with ketogenic diet.
Khan. A., Kearns, J. & Hussain, N. (2014) Management of children on Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy. Children’s Services Medical Guideline.
Kearns, J. (2012) An audit of paediatric epilepsy related admissions and readmissions prior to commencing ketogenic diet therapy.
Kearns, J. (2010) Guidelines for commencing enteral feeding post gastrostomy insertion in paediatric patients
Kearns, J. (2010) Guidelines for commencing feeding post nissens fundoplication and gastrostomy insertion in paediatric patients.