Anna Goodman

Research Fellow

My motivation for working in public health is a desire to use interdisciplinary approaches to understand how the natural and social environment affects human health, and to use this understanding as a basis for advocacy and action. This concern originated during my undergraduate degree in Human Sciences in Oxford (2002-2005). It has since been reinforced by my time at LSHTM completing an MSc in Epidemiology (2005) and a PhD in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health (2006-2009).

I am very concerned about the threats which social inequality and the current ecological crisis pose to human health and well-being.  I therefore plan to specialise in the intersection between public health, health equity and environmental sustainability. I am currently pursuing this through a NIHR-funded postdoctoral research Fellowship titled 'socio-economic inequalities in walking and cycling' (funded until 2015). I have also become involved in a number of other research and engagement projects, including:

* An ongoing collaboration with the Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS) in Stockholm (2008-present: see 'Research Interests' below).

* Organising LSHTM's Young Scientists' Programme, which aims to engage young people from disadvantaged schools in public health science (2007-present). This scheme has won several awards, including a Higher Education Academy award for me and a Woman of the Future award for one of our participants.

* Sitting on the sub-committe for early career researchers within the Society for Social Medicine (2009-present, chair 2011).

* Collaborating to set up the London EcoHealth Forum(ecohealthlondon@gmail.com) at the London International Development Centre (2009-present)

* Pro-bono advice and support for AMREF UK in their development of a public health research strategy (2008-2009).

Affiliation

Teaching

Since 2007 I have taught the Research Methodology module of the Child Mental Health Research MSc at the Institute of Psychiatry, London.

In addition, I have taught within LSHTM on the Extended Epidemiology, DANES and International Mental Health MSc study modules, and on related short courses.

Research

My PhD research focussed on factors which protect children against mental health problems and promote good mental health. I pursued this through secondary analysis of the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys of 1999 and 2004, the two largest and most comprehensive surveys yet conducted of child mental health in Britain. One focus of this research was investigating the reasons for the apparent mental health advantage of British Indian children in these surveys.  Other aspects included collaboration with OFSTED in validating a school-level predictor of emotional and behavioural difficulties within schools, and developing an 'Added Value' score for use in outcome monitoring of Child and Adolescent Mental Health services.

I am also interested in many other aspects of how broader social and environmental factors influence human health and well-being. As part of an ESRC-sponsored overseas institutional visit, I have developed an ongoing collaboration with the Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS) in Stockholm, which now employs me part-time. The main focus of this research has been the determinants of mortality, fertility, health and educational outcomes across the life course and across generations in a Swedish birth cohort born 1915-1929.

During my NIHR fellowship I intend to research the effectiveness and equity of interventions designed to improve public health while promoting environmental sustainability.  I shall do this by collaborating on studies based at LSHTM, Cambridge University and Oxford University, investigating the public health impacts of transport interventions designed to promote walking and cycling.

Research areas

  • Child health
  • Complex interventions
  • Environment
  • Health inequalities
  • Physical activity

Disciplines

  • Epidemiology

Disease and Health Conditions

  • Mental health
  • Non-communicable diseases

Regions

  • Euro area

Countries

  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
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