Personal profile
Biographical details
Alan Simpson joined KCL as Professor of Mental Health Nursing in February 2019. He works in Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, the Health Service and Population Research Department in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. He is Co-Director of the UCL-KCL Mental Health Policy Research Unit. Previously, he was Professor of Collaborative Mental Health Nursing at City, University of London and East London NHS Foundation Trust where he remains an Honorary Professor, and is Adjunct Professor at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Alan is an experienced mental health nurse researcher currently developing a new programme of high-quality research with the aim of improving the delivery and experience of mental healthcare and mental health nursing across a range of service settings. His research is collaboratively developed and conducted with service users, carers, clinicians, service managers, academics and policy makers.
He is a Registered Nurse (Mental Health) and Teacher with the NMC and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has a rich and varied clinical background, a PhD, BA(Hons) in Social Psychiatry and a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling. Awards include the Mental Health Nurse Academics UK Lecture in 2018 and the Eileen Skellern Lecture in 2013. He is an active member and previous Chair of Mental Health Nurse Academics UK, with representatives from over 60 Higher Education Institutuions in the UK: https://mhnauk.wordpress.com/ He has lived in London with his family for 20 years.
External positions
Honorary Professor , City, University of London
4 Feb 2019 → …
2013Adjunct Professor, Flinders University
1 Jun 2013 → …
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Co-producing an online platform for people with long-term physical health conditions: A development and usability study
Jones, H., Lavelle, G., Aylwin-Foster, E., Simpson, A., Hotopf, M. & Lawrence, V., 18 Feb 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Medical Internet Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Downloads (Pure) -
Insights and Recommendations From Moderators and Community Members for Keeping Online Peer Support Safe: Thematic Analysis
Jones, H. G., Lavelle, G., Aylwin-Foster, E., Regan, C., Simpson, A., Carr, E., Hotopf, M. & Lawrence, V., 12 Mar 2026, In: Journal of Medical Internet Research. 28, e81943.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Insights and recommendations from moderators and community members keeping online peer support safe: A thematic analysis
Jones, H., Lavelle, G., Regan, C., Simpson, A., Carr, E., Lawrence, V. & Hotopf, M., 2 Feb 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Medical Internet Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile10 Downloads (Pure) -
Understanding the roles and experiences of mental health peer support workers in England: a qualitative interview study
Cooper, R., Lyons, N., Jeffreys, S., Jeynes, T., Nicholls, V., Foye, U., Shah, P., Mitchell, L., Machin, K., Grundy, A., Pemovska, T., Ahmed, N., Appleton, R., Repper, J., Lloyd-Evans, B., Simpson, A. & Johnson, S., 20 Feb 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: BMC Psychiatry. 26, 1Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile17 Downloads (Pure) -
Alternative approaches to standard inpatient mental health care: development of a typology of service models
Griffiths, J., Baldwin, H., Vasikaran, J., Jarvis, R., Pillutla, R., Saunders, K. R. K., Cooper, R. E., Foye, U., Sheridan Rains, L., Lusted-Challen, M., Barnett, P., Brennan, G., Pryjmachuk, S., Newbigging, K., Lomani, J., Rowan Olive, R., Mitchell, L., Nyikavaranda, P., Lynch, C. & Persaud, K. & 3 others, , 17 Apr 2025, In: International Journal Of Mental Health Systems. 19, 1, 13.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)3 Downloads (Pure)
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PRT Preparatory Research Fellow - Exploring Perinatal Mental Health Experiences and Access to Support among Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Women and Birthing People in the U.K.
Oram, S. (Primary Investigator) & Simpson, A. (Co-Investigator)
7/10/2024 → 5/06/2026
Project: Research
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PRU: Mental Health Policy Research Unit
Simpson, A. (Primary Investigator), Boaz, A. (Co-Investigator), Dutta, R. (Co-Investigator), Onwumere, J. (Co-Investigator) & Trevillion, K. (Co-Investigator)
NIHR National Institute For Health & Care Research
1/01/2024 → 31/12/2028
Project: Research
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Part of Kin: Jessica Sears - The ACCEPT study. Developing a complex intervention to improve the process of disclosing Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) for service users and staff: an experience-based co-design study
Simpson, A. (Primary Investigator)
1/10/2023 → 30/09/2027
Project: Research
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RSS: NIHR Support Service
Simpson, A. (Primary Investigator), Ahuja, S. (Co-Investigator), Kelly, J. (Co-Investigator), Norton, S. (Co-Investigator), Sasieni, P. (Co-Investigator) & academic, A. (Co-Investigator)
NIHR National Institute For Health & Care Research
1/10/2023 → 30/09/2028
Project: Research
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King’s PhD Programme in Mental Health Research for Health Professionals
Hotopf, M. (Primary Investigator), Hatch, S. (Co-Investigator), Moss-Morris, R. (Co-Investigator), Simpson, A. (Co-Investigator) & Thuret, S. (Co-Investigator)
1/10/2022 → 30/09/2029
Project: Research
Datasets
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Implementation of Body Worn Camera: Practical and Ethical Considerations
Foye, U., Regan, C., Wilson, K., Ali, R., Chadwick, M., Thomas, E., Allen-Lynn, J., Allen-Lynn, J., Dodhia, S., Brennan, G. & Simpson, A., Taylor & Francis, 27 Feb 2024
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.25301265
Dataset
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Additional file 3 of The use and impact of surveillance-based technology initiatives in inpatient and acute mental health settings: a systematic review
Griffiths, J. L., Saunders, K. R. K., Foye, U., Greenburgh, A., Regan, C., Cooper, R. E., Powell, R., Thomas, E., Brennan, G., Rojas-García, A., Lloyd-Evans, B., Johnson, S. & Simpson, A., figshare, 30 Nov 2024
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27932581
Dataset
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Additional file 2 of The use and impact of surveillance-based technology initiatives in inpatient and acute mental health settings: a systematic review
Griffiths, J. L., Saunders, K. R. K., Foye, U., Greenburgh, A., Regan, C., Cooper, R. E., Powell, R., Thomas, E., Brennan, G., Rojas-García, A., Lloyd-Evans, B., Johnson, S. & Simpson, A., figshare, 30 Nov 2024
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.27932578
Dataset
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Additional file 2 of Alternative approaches to standard inpatient mental health care: development of a typology of service models
Griffiths, J. L., Baldwin, H., Vasikaran, J., Jarvis, R., Pillutla, R., Saunders, K. R. K., Cooper, R. E., Foye, U., Rains, L. S., Lusted-Challen, M., Barnett, P., Brennan, G., Pryjmachuk, S., Newbigging, K., Lomani, J., Olive, R. R., Mitchell, L., Nyikavaranda, P., Lynch, C., Persaud, K., Lloyd-Evans, B., Simpson, A. & Johnson, S., figshare, 18 Apr 2025
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28822395
Dataset
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Quantitative Evidence for Relational Care Approaches to Assessing and Managing Self-Harm and Suicide Risk in Inpatient Mental Health and Emergency Department Settings: A Scoping Review
Griffiths, J. L., Foye, U., Stuart, R., Jarvis, R., Chipp, B., Griffiths, R., Jeynes, T., Mitchell, L., Parker, J., Olive, R. R., Quirke, K., Baker, J., Brennan, G., Lamph, G., McKeown, M., Lloyd-Evans, B., Trevillion, K. & Simpson, A., Taylor & Francis, 5 May 2025
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28934228
Dataset