Professor David Ekers, Co-investigator
Biography
David is a nurse leader with over 30 years of experience in mental health and is an Honorary Visiting Professor in the University of York’s Department of Health Sciences. For the past 20 years he has been a senior nurse in the Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV NHS FT) combining clinical, research and leadership roles. He is now the Clinical Director for Research and Development at TEWV NHS FT.
David has a strong commitment and passion for improving the access of people to psychological interventions for common mental health disorders. He has contributed to a number of national policy and guidance committees for the Department of Health and NICE. He is the Mental Health Speciality Lead for the Clinical Research Network in the North East and North Cumbria.
David is recognised internationally as an expert on Behavioural Activation for Depression. His research is highly cited both within the UK and internationally and has led the way in developing the evidence base to support dissemination of this approach. He was the chief investigator of an initial proof of principle randomised controlled trial that was the first to investigate the delivery of BA by non-specialist therapists. That study directly informed the design of the large multi-centre COBRA and CASPER NIHR HTA funded studies with findings published in high impact journals which are informing NICE guidance and clinical practice. David was a co-investigator on these studies developing the intervention and leading North East UK sites.
David was the chief investigator on the Community Pharmacy Mood Intervention study and is the joint CI on the NIHR funded programme Multi-Morbidity in Older Adults (MODS). He is also a co-investigator on a number of other local, national and international studies exploring practical approaches to dissemination of talking treatments for depression.
Role in ComBAT
In COMBAT David will contribute to the development of the BA materials and their delivery and the delivery of the work streams within the programme.