Tobit Emmens

Associate Director of Research & Development at Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

Greater Exeter Area

About

I am the Associate Director of Research and Development at Devon Partnership NHS Trust, an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, and the Mental Health Specialty Research Lead for the NIHR Regional Research Delivery Network in the South West Peninsula. I undertook my doctoral studies at the University of Hertfordshire, on the Management and Complexity programme, where I focused on the complex relational dynamics of research delivery activity, drawing on the complexity sciences, pragmatism, and process sociology, I explored episodes where research activity and evidence was contested, questioned, and sometimes caused conflict. During my MSc (University of Exeter) I researched the media reporting of suicide. My ongoing research interests include men's mental health, research engagement and the optimisation of research delivery.

Experience

  • NIHR Research Delivery Network (Part-time · 4 yrs 8 mos)
    • Speciality Research Lead for Mental Health - South West Peninsula
      Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

    • Speciality Lead for Mental Health Research
      Nov 2021 - Sep 2024 · 2 yrs 11 mos

  • Devon Partnership NHS Trust (16 yrs 9 mos)
    • Associate Director of Research & Development
      Aug 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 11 mos

    • Managing Partner, Research & Development
      Jan 2016 - Aug 2021 · 5 yrs 8 mos

      responsible for leading the development and implementation of a strategic approach to the management of research, evaluation and innovation at the Devon Partnership NHS Trust

    • Managing Partner, Research and Innovation
      Oct 2009 - Dec 2015 · 6 yrs 3 mos

  • TEDxExeter (15 yrs 6 mos)
    • Curation and Speaker team
      2011 - Present · 15 yrs 6 mos

    • production manager
      2011 - 2012 · 1 yr

  • Transport, Logistics, and Tournament Services Volunteer at World Rugby
    Aug 2025 - Sep 2025 · 2 mos

    Member of the Sandy Park Venue Tournament Services Team for the England 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup

  • Director at Park Life Heavitree
    Jan 2010 - Mar 2014 · 4 yrs 3 mos

    Park Life Heavitree is a not-for-profit company Inspired by our view that the Heavitree Pleasure Ground acts as a kind of 'community glue' we have a growing vision that see a community cafe running in the park. As active users of Heavitree Pleasure Ground we see the potential for this to support bringing together the community in and around the park.