Jo received her AHRC funded PhD in Musicology from the University of Glasgow, for her research entitled "Experiments in Schizoanalysis: A New Approach to Analysis of Conceptual Music". This involved the development of an original creative approach to analysing music using schizophrenic thought and language patterns as a conceptual model. During this time she helped develop and validate the new Masters in Songwriting and Performance programme at UWS.
As a songwriter, Jo has co-written songs with internationally recognised Scottish bands such as Teenage Fanclub and Admiral Fallow, including one song nominated as part of the SAY Music Award short-list 2012. Her latest album Murmuration (2012), the development of which was funded by Creative Scotland, was listed number 5 in The Herald's top 50 albums of 2012. Her composition and songwriting work has been featured in film ("You Instead", UK, "Tonight You're Mine" USA, Europe), TV ("The C Word", USA), adverts (Gillette, Puerto Rico; Yeardley, UK) and theatre.
Recent research includes book chapters on the work of fellow nu-folk songwriter Joanna Newsom and on the concept of schizoanalysis as it applies to creativity in non-fiction."