On Thursday 12th June, Professor Jo Patterson of the Institute of Population Health delivered her inaugural lecture at the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, marking a significant milestone in a career that has spanned clinical innovation, academic research, and national recognition.
Introduced by EPVC, Professor Louise Kenny - who recalled first hearing of Jo from a colleague who named her as a rising star in speech therapy - the evening offered a deep reflection on the evolution of the field and Jo’s personal journey within it. From the discipline’s early 19th-century roots in elocution to the foundation of the College of Speech Therapists in 1945—patronised by King George VI—Jo traced a history that paralleled her own rise through a once under-supported and overlooked profession.
Jo described her early clinical work treating children in Bognor Regis, often under-resourced and even delivering care from a repurposed broom cupboard. This contrasted with later experiences in better-equipped areas such as Chichester and highlighted early awareness of health inequalities—an issue that would remain central to her work.
After a year studying in Auckland, New Zealand, Jo moved to Newcastle University, where her research focus sharpened on the effects of radiotherapy on the voice. Though her initial PhD proposal was rejected, Jo credited the experience with teaching her resilience and redirecting her path towards the then-new NIHR Clinical Academic Programme. She became the first speech therapist to receive a clinical lectureship through the scheme—an achievement that ultimately led to her appointment as the only speech therapist to hold the prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator title.
Jo reflected warmly on key individuals who supported her, including NHS manager Ruth Rayner, who enabled her research focus, and Professor Janet Wilson, an ENT surgeon who helped guide her career. She emphasised the importance of such champions in enabling meaningful research.
Joining the School of Allied Health Professions and Nursing in 2020, Jo described her pride in being a part of the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre—an initiative she was initially concerned would not come to fruition, but which has since grown to hold global influence, and inspired similar centres across the UK.
Her lecture concluded with a forward-looking discussion on integrating technology, big data, and interprofessional collaboration to improve outcomes in speech and language therapy.
You can watch Professor Patterson’s inaugural lecture here.