Contact
Biography
I am an Anne McLaren Fellow and a former NIHR Knowledge Mobilisation Research Fellow (2018-2022). I am currently Director of Knowledge for Public Health (KNOW-PH), a UK-first knowledge mobilisation team that brings public health evidence closer to policy and practice, funded by NIHR. I have a background in public health and health inequalities. I focus a lot of my work on the health and wellbeing of people who have been marginalised. I am currently working with people with Black and minority ethnic or migrant backgrounds and people who have been trafficked or exploited. I have an interest in applied public health research and knowledge mobilisation and have worked both as an academic and as a researcher for the UK government and its agency, Public Health England.
I am an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield and hold an Honorary Academic contract with the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (an Office of the UK's Department of Health and Social Care).
Expertise Summary
I have expertise in public health and social science research using mixed methods, evidence synthesis and participatory approaches. I have considerable experience in knowledge mobilisation; acting on the knowledge of policy, practitioners, citizens and people and the academic community to create better informed policies and practices to promote wellbeing and prevent harm. I have worked alongside policy makers, government agencies, affected communities and the NGO sector to generate evidence-informed change. I am active in the development of alternative knowledge products such as this microsite on a public health approach to modern slavery and human trafficking.
Research Summary
Current/recent grants
2023-2026 Knowledge for Public Health (KNOW-PH), a knowledge mobilisation team (NIHR, co-PI with Langley)
2022-2025 Anne McLaren Fellowship. Modern slavery prevention in maternal health systems
2022-2023 UKRI/AHRC Improving equality, diversity and inclusion in publicly-funded modern slavery research in the UK. Co-PI with Ariyo
2019-2024 MRC/UKPRP Systems Science in Public Health and Health Economics Research (SIPHER) Consortium, Co-I with Meier and Purhouse et al. (co-PIs)
2018-2022 NIHR Knowledge Mobilisation Research Fellowship. Mobilising evidence for better health and equity through 'Health in All Policies' (HiAP) in local government.
2021-2022 UKRI/AHRC Prevention of adult sexual and labour exploitation in the UK. PI
2020-2021 ESRC. COVID-19 Risk and Response: Impacts and Mitigations for Modern Slavery Victims and Survivors, UKRI/ESRC Co-I with Brotherton and Wright (co-PIs), Trodd, Lucas, Gardner and Wyman
2020-2021 Research England. Refining a public health approach to modern slavery with the Office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and Public Health England. PI with McCoig and Campos-Matos (Co-Is)
2017-2019 NIHR Public Health Research Programme. How can loneliness and social isolation be reduced among migrant and minority ethnic people? Systematic, participatory review of programme theories, system processes and outcomes, Co-I with Salway (PI), Powell, Victor, Ragathan, Booth