Senior Research Associate
Population Health Interventions

Background and experience

Jenna trained in environmental sciences (BSc) before completing a PhD focusing on the environmental and psychosocial influences on walking and cycling, using data from the SPEEDY and EPIC-Norfolk studies. She then moved to the MRC Epidemiology Unit to work as the lead quantitative researcher on the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. She then won an NIHR post-doctoral fellowship (2013 to 2015) which focused on understanding the effects of environmental changes on walking, cycling and physical activity, as well as understanding the mechanisms by which such changes in behaviour are brought about.

She has collaborated with academics from the University of Oxford, University of Bristol and University College London and has experience of translating her work for policy makers and practitioners. She provided an expert testimony and submitted evidence to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Programme Development Group for their guidance on promoting walking and cycling and also co-authored the chapter on ‘obesogenic environments’ part of a key British Government Foresight report entitled “Tackling Obesities: Future Choices”.

Current work

Jenna is a senior member of the Population Health Interventions programme. Her current research focuses on examining patterns and determinants of change in physical activity, evaluating environmental and policy interventions and evidence synthesis. Jenna also contributes to the supervision of Masters and PhD students.

Research grants

• Giles-Corti B, Woodcock J … Panter J (co-applicant) Joining Impact models of transport with spatial measures of the Built Environment (JIBE). UKRI-NHMRC Research Scheme (May 2020- May 2023)
• Panter J (Lead Applicant), Reid A. Evolving cities: Understanding the health impacts of urban redevelopments (PhD studentship with Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, ESRC DTP). Oct 2020-Sept 2023.
• Panter J (Lead Applicant). Feasiblity study of CAZ.  Returning Carers Scheme Round 13, Aug 2019 – Jan 2020, 20K.
• Ogilvie D, Bull F, Huppert F, Jones A, Osborne N, Panter J (co-applicant), Anderson J. Evaluating the impact of new residential environments on active living and well-being: scoping, feasibility and pilot study: NIHR School for Public Health Research, Jan 2013 – May 2015, £302K.
• Panter J (Lead Applicant), Ogilvie D. Quantifying and validating physical activity, sedentary behaviours and energy expenditure on the journey to and from work. MRC Early Career Centenary Award, Jan 2013-Dec 2013, 20K.

Publications

• MRC Epidemiology Unit publications on Publications Database
• Full list on Google Scholar

Selected publications

• Peng J, Yu C, Remais JV, Stein A, Liu, Brownson R… Panter J…. James P. Spatial lifecourse epidemiology reporting standards (ISLE-ReSt) statement. Health Place (2020) 61: 102243.
• Ogilvie D, Adams J, Bauman A, Gregg E, Panter J, Siegel K, N Wareham N, White M. Using natural experimental studies to guide public health action: turning the evidence-based medicine paradigm on its head. J Epidemiol Community Health (2019) doi: 10.1136/jech-2019-213085
• Mölenberg FM, Panter J, Alex Burdorf A, van Lenthe FJ. A systematic review of the effect of infrastructural interventions to promote cycling: Strengthening causal inference from observational data. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2019) 16:93.
• Smith L, Foley L, Panter J Activity spaces in studies of the environment and physical activity: A review and synthesis of implications for causality. Health Place (2019) 58:102113. doi: /10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102113.
• Panter J, Guell C, Humphreys D, Ogilvie D. Can changing the physical environment promote walking and cycling? A systematic review of what works and how. Health Place (2019) 58:102161. doi: /10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102161
• Knott C, Sharp S, Mytton O, Ogilvie D, Panter J. Changes in workplace car parking and commute mode – a natural experimental study. J Epi Comm Health (2019) 73(1):42-49.
• Panter J, Mytton O, Sharp S, Brage S, Cummins S, Laverty A, Wijndaele K, Ogilvie D. Using alternatives to the car and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Heart (2018) doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2017-312699.
• Panter J, Ogilvie D. on behalf of the iConnect consortium. Can environmental improvement change the population distribution of walking? Journal of Epidemiology Community Health (2017) doi: 10.1136/jech-2016-208417.
• Humphreys D, Panter J, Ogilvie D. Questioning the application of risk of bias tools in appraising evidence from natural experimental studies: critical reflections on Benton et al. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2017) 14: 49.
• Mytton O, Panter J, Ogilvie D. Longitudinal associations of active commuting with wellbeing and sickness absence. Preventive Medicine (2016) 84: 19-26.
• Panter J, Ogilvie D. (2016) Cycling and diabetes prevention: practice-based evidence for public health action. PLoS Med 13(7): e1002077.
• Brown HE, Atkin A, Panter J, Wong G, Chinapaw M, van Sluijs EMF. Family-based interventions to increase physical activity in children: a systematic review, meta-analysis and realist synthesis. Obesity Reviews (2016) 17, 4, 345-360.
• Panter J, Heinen E, Mackett R, Ogilvie D. Impact of new transport infrastructure on walking, cycling and physical activity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2016) 50: e45-e53.
• Panter J, Ogilvie D, on behalf of the iConnect consortium. Theorising and testing environmental pathways to behaviour change: natural experimental study of the perception and use of new infrastructure to promote walking and cycling in local communities. BMJ Open (2015) 5: e007593.
• Costa S, Ogilvie D, Dalton A, Westgate K, Brage S, Panter J. Quantifying the physical activity energy expenditure of commuters using a combination of global positioning system and combined heart rate and movement sensors. Prev Med (2015) 81: 339-344.
• Goodman A, Panter J, Sharp S, Ogilvie D. Effectiveness and equity of town-wide cycling initiatives in England: a longitudinal, controlled natural experimental study. Social Science and Medicine (2013) 97:228-37.
• Guell C, Panter J, Ogilvie D. Walking and cycling to work despite reporting an unsupportive environment: insights from a mixed-method exploration of counter-intuitive findings. BMC Public Health (2013) 13: 497.
• Panter JR, Jones AP, Van Sluijs EM (2008). Environmental determinants of active travel in children: A review and framework for future research. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2008) 5, 34.
• Panter J, Jones AP, Hillsdon M. Equity of access to physical activity facilities in an English city. Preventive Medicine (2008) 46, 4, 303-307.