Professor Ann John, a leading figure in suicide prevention and mental health data science, has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field. Alongside her role as Professor at Swansea University Medical School, Ann is a valued trustee of MQ Mental Health Research and Chair of MQ’s Science Council, where she plays a key role in shaping the organisation’s research strategy and scientific direction.
A former GP, Ann has dedicated her career to understanding and preventing suicide and self-harm. She is Director of the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-harm Research, which advises the Welsh Government, and Principal Investigator and Co-Director of DATAMIND, the Health Data Research UK Hub for Mental Health Informatics Research. Through these roles, she has led pioneering work that is transforming how data is used to improve mental health outcomes.
Ann’s work has helped shape national policy and frontline approaches to suicide prevention. Beyond academia, she has worked closely with media organisations to improve how suicide is portrayed, contributing her expertise to major television productions including EastEnders, Coronation Street, and the BBC’s This Is Going to Hurt. These collaborations have helped promote more responsible storytelling and reduce the risk of harm associated with inaccurate or sensationalised depictions.
“I am deeply honoured and delighted to receive this award,” Professor Ann John.
“It reflects the importance of suicide prevention and the power of digital innovation, research and collaboration to make a real difference to people’s lives. I share this honour with everyone who has contributed to that work over many years.”
In 2018 MQ funded the Adolescent Data Platform, for which Professor Ann John was the principal investigator. This platform brought together the routinely collected health data from the NHS, Schools and local authorities and combined them on a platform so that researchers could identify trends. This data-led approach led to researchers spotting trends in Cyberbullying, self-harm and suicidality which led to new guidance being issued to schools.
At the heart of Ann’s work is a commitment to responsible, ethical use of data. Professor John is a leader in advancing secure, privacy-focused approaches to mental health data access, working in partnership with the NHS, policymakers, researchers, and people with lived experience. Her work ensures that data-driven innovation delivers tangible benefits for patients and communities, while maintaining public trust.