Dr Jo Hope

Associate Professor

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About

Jo Hope is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Southampton. She is a sociologist whose research focuses on care inequalities, missed care and patient involvement in decision making in hospitals. Her current work explores how to improve hospital care and inclusion in research for people with learning disabilities. Between September 2024 and March 2025 she is leading an NIHR RfPB funded project (NIHR206167) exploring how hospital care is delivered for people with learning disabilities, and how it might be improved. Jo has a particular interest in how people who communicate nonverbally (including people with profound learning disabilities) can be included in care decisions and research. She leads learning disability training across the nursing curriculum in Health Sciences. Prior to her academic career, Jo was the national manager for the Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) Life Chances team at Mencap and worked in learning disability and mental health services in the NHS.