Alex Todhunter-Brown

Alex Todhunter-Brown (formerly Pollock) is Professor of Evidence Synthesis within the Research Centre for Health (ReaCH), School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University. Alex is internationally recognised for her conduct and methodological development of evidence syntheses across a diverse range of health and social care topics, including stroke.  She is a key international leader in methods of involving patients and the public within evidence syntheses. Alex has over 110 publications, an h-index (Scopus) of 47, and is cited as being in the top 2% of scientists in her discipline.   Alex is currently a member of the Chief Scientist Office Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committee.

Alex co-leads the NIHR Evidence Synthesis Scotland IniativE (NESSIE) for the UK NIHR Evidence Synthesis Programme (https://usher.ed.ac.uk/nessie). NESSIE is one of thirteen evidence synthesis groups funded by the NIHR evidence synthesis programme. The aim of the evidence synthesis groups is to address knowledge gaps or to answer a specific need for healthcare, public health and social care stakeholders/audiences.  NESSIE research staff, based in Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Edinburgh support the production of high quality evidence syntheses across a wide range of topics relevant to health care, public health and social care.  These have a direct impact on decision-making, patient and client care, reducing inequalities and identifying future research needs.  NESSIE projects provide best evidence to support decision-making across health, public health and social care in all four nations of the UK.

Alex has been involved in Cochrane since 1998 and has authored multiple Cochrane reviews which are cited in national and international guidelines.  She was Cochrane Stroke Associate Editor (2015-2020) and Co-ordinating editor (2020-2023). She was a founding member and Co-Lead of the Cochrane Heart, Stroke and Circulation Thematic Group (2023-2026).  She is on the Advisory Board of Cochrane Rehabilitation and Steering Group of JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) Scotland.

Alex is a recognised leading international expert in the field of active and meaningful public involvement in research, with a particular focus on involvement in evidence syntheses, and has published extensively on this topic. She is a founding member and joint lead of a Cochrane Co-production Methods Group, a member of MuSE (Multi-Stakeholder Engagement) Consortium, and a member of a Joanna Briggs Institute Knowledge Users Methodology Group.  She was the invited lead author of a chapter on involving interest-holders in systematic reviews for the 2021 Guideline International Network (GIN) Toolkit.  She led the ACTIVE project, funded by Cochrane Training, aimed at supporting review authors have meaningful involvement of patients and the public in systematic reviews.  This project involved reviewing evidence relating to interest-holder involvement in systematic reviews and developing the content of Cochrane’s Involving People resource.  Alex is currently a key leader in work to develop international guidance on interest-holder involvement in evidence synthesis.

Alex is an experienced PhD supervisor, and has supervised six successfully completed PhDs.  She is currently supervising three PhD students.