I am a Professor of Applied Public Health, specialising in the evaluation of health inequalities through natural experiments that assess the impact of local and national policies across social, welfare, economic, and health sectors. My research is particularly focused on empowering local governments to promote health equity by addressing social determinants of health. Recent studies include examining how NHS resource allocation and the English health inequalities strategy influence health disparities, exploring the connections between welfare reforms and negative mental health outcomes, and evaluating various initiatives by local authorities, the NHS, and community organizations aimed at reducing health inequalities.
Since 2020, I have served as the Head of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Policy Research on Determinants of Health Equity, following Professor Dame Margaret Whitehead. Under this role, the Centre has addressed a wide array of issues for WHO, ranging from ethical considerations to actionable strategies, including developing frameworks for health equity and initiatives to create indicators for tracking policy progress on social health inequalities across Europe.
From 2010 to 2015, I was an NIHR Research Fellow and an NHS Consultant in Public Health. My academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in anthropology at University College London, followed by nursing training and postgraduate studies in public health and epidemiology at LSHTM and the University of Liverpool. After several years working on humanitarian and infectious disease control programs in post-conflict regions, I returned to applied public health in the UK, contributing to the NHS and the Health Protection Agency before moving into academia.

Back to team