In 1997 Jo Dawes qualified as a physiotherapist from Glasgow Caledonian University. Since then she has worked in a variety of NHS settings. Between 2000 and 2007 she worked as a physiotherapist for Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust, within a city-wide specialist health and social care team for homeless people.

Jo has a keen and diverse interest in research, completing an MPhil in 2006, which evaluated the benefits of exercise in substance misuse rehabilitation; and, working in Zambia (with Voluntary Services Overseas) to evaluate HIV educational programmes in the farming and mining industries.

She moved to London in 2008, and joined the academic staff at St George's, University of London, as a Senior Lecturer in physiotherapy in 2012.

Jo is also involved with the homelessness charity Crisis, having set up and developed a physiotherapy service during their volunteer event ‘Crisis at Christmas’ for the last two years.