Nanna Holt Jessen

Profile

I am a medical doctor and Senior Researcher at the Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, where I lead the Green Care research group. My research focuses on the development, evaluation, and implementation of accessible, preventive, and non-pharmacological interventions to promote health, as well as sustainability in general practice.

I am particularly interested in how nature-based health interventions, sustainable healthcare solutions, and cross-sector collaborations can support health promotion and be implemented both in general practice and more broadly across communities, including the places where people live their everyday lives.

Research

My research focuses on the development and evaluation of nature-based health interventions (NBHIs) for the prevention and treatment of common mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, and stress. I work with complex interventions and apply the UK Medical Research Council's (MRC) Complex Intervention Framework (2021) to develop interventions through close collaboration with citizens, patients, healthcare professionals, and other relevant stakeholders.

From 2023 to 2026, I was part of the interdisciplinary leadership team of the Nature Impact project, which explored the development, co-production, feasibility testing, evaluation, and implementation of NBHIs for adults with mild to moderate anxiety, depression, and/or stress. Within this project, I also led the feasibility study, in which the intervention was co-produced with stakeholders and evaluated using a real-world implementation design.

My broader research interests include sustainable healthcare development, implementation research in general practice, and the interaction between health promotion, well-being, and urban design.

Areas of expertise

• Nature-based health interventions (NBHIs)
• Mental health, including anxiety, depression, and stress
• Preventive and non-pharmacological interventions, including social prescribing
• Complex interventions and the MRC Complex Intervention Framework (2021)
• Implementation research in general practice
• Sustainable healthcare development
• Co-production, public involvement, and cross-sector collaboration
• Community-based and scalable health initiatives

Teaching and supervision

I am an External Lecturer at the Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, where I serve as course coordinator for the undergraduate course Pathology in the Bachelor's degree programme in Public Health Science.

I have experience in supervising students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including research-year students, prospective PhD students, and Master's students in Medicine and Sport Science. My teaching and supervision focus on developing research competencies, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration within health research.