I was trained in public health nutrition (Master Public Health, University of Berkeley at California, USA) and public health policy analysis (PhD at LSHTM). I joined LSHTM in 2007 after working at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, in food and nutrition policy.
At LSHTM, I am Head of the Department of Health Services Research and Policy, in the Faculty of Public Health and Policy.
I am co-lead with Professor Mark Petticrew of the LSHTM Commercial Determinants Research Group. I am also director of the Food Policy Impact Lab, a group of researchers and doctoral students with a programme of research comprising: evaluations of public private partnerships and food industry led self-regulation; and analyses of the process, and impact, of the growing influence of large food corporations in health, in England and abroad. We use a range of methods including policy evaluation, qualitative research, such as qualitative systems methods.
As Deputy Director Health Improvement of the 5-year Policy Innovation and Evaluation Research Unit (PIRU), we are completing work on food provision in early years (childcare) settings in England, and conducting a process evaluation of the UKHSA's 2023 Adverse Weather and Health Plan across local health and social care organisations in England.
Affiliations
Teaching
I contribute lectures to a range of modules including Fundamental Public Health Nutrition, Nutrition-related Chronic Disease, as well as the Doctorate of Public Health EBPHP programme.
I co-organise the LSHTM Short Course on ‘Conducting Research on Commercial Determinants of Health' with Prof Mark Petticrew. Register for the next course which runs 2 - 4 December 2026!
Research
My programme of research comprises evaluations of public private partnerships and food industry led self-regulation, as well as analyses of the process, and impact, of the growing influence of large food corporations in health, in England and abroad. I use a range of methods including policy evaluation, qualitative research, such as qualitative systems methods.