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Professor Cecile Knai

Professor of Public Health Policy

United Kingdom

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 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.

 

I was Head of the Department of Health Services Research and Policy, in the Faculty of Public Health and Policy, from September 2023- August 2026.  

 

Affiliations

Department of Health Services Research and Policy
Faculty of Public Health and Policy

Teaching

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. 

 

I am Exam Board Chair for the Distance Learning MSc Global Health Policy (2026 - ) 

 

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. 

 

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.

Research Area
Food
Health policy
Policy analysis
Qualitative research
Disease and Health Conditions
Non-communicable diseases
Obesity
Country
United Kingdom
Lebanon
France
Netherlands
South Africa
Poland
Portugal
Norway
India

Selected Publications

Access to reproductive health services: findings from the 2023 Reproductive Health Survey for England
MCCARTHY, OL; PALMER, MJ; KNAI, C; WARREN, E; JAKUBOWSKI, B; Pacho, A; FRENCH, RS;
2026
openRxiv
Reviewing ecosystems of evidence: synthesising the evidence on the commercial determinants of health from a complex systems perspective.
TOMPSON, A; Thomas, J; Rutter, H; BLANCHARD, L; Cott, É; GLOVER, RE; KNAI, C; Maani, N; Van Schalkwyk, MC I; Welch, V; PETTICREW, M;
2026
Systematic Reviews
Social media, adolescent mental health, and diet: a policy content analysis.
CONWAY-MOORE, K; BLANCHARD, L; Aguiar, A; O'Mara, J; Vlad, I; Rutter, H; KNAI, C;
2026
BMC public health
Are childcare settings' food menus fit for purpose? A qualitative analysis in England.
WARREN, E; Williams, L; EXLEY, J; BOADU, P; Erens, B; Brackley, D; Osborne, R; KNAI, C;
2025
Health promotion international
A critical interrogation of the legitimacy of commercial actors in food policy partnerships.
KNAI, C; Chavez-Ugalde, Y; Eastmure, E; EGAN, M; Rutter, H; BLANCHARD, L; PETTICREW, M;
2025
Health promotion international
The UK must not fail Gaza—a call for government action
HASSAN, S; ALLEMANI, C; CLARKE, S; COLEMAN, MP; COOK, J; DI CARLO, V; FIELDING, K; FERRAND, R; GAFOS, M; KHAN, P; KLEINSCHMIDT, I; KNAI, C; SINGH, NS; WEISS, H; Campbell, O; CHECCHI, F;
2025
BMJ
Alcohol industry conflicts of interest: The pollution pathway from misinformation to alcohol harms.
PETTICREW, M; Van Schalkwyk, MC; KNAI, C;
2025
Future healthcare journal
The Effectiveness of Partnerships With Commercial Actors to Improve Food Environments: A Systematic Review.
BLANCHARD, L; Bridge, G; Bidonde, J; EGAN, M; Rutter, H; PETTICREW, M; Lucas, PJ; Potvin Kent, M; Bennet, C; Ray, S; Law, C; KNAI, C;
2025
Obesity Reviews
Voices of youth: youth participation in the CO-CREATE project.
Meshkovska, B; Moerman, G; Baillergeau, E; Bröer, C; Lien, N; Luszczynska, A; Rito, AI; KNAI, C; Helleve, A;
2025
BMC public health
Converging perspectives on the processes exacerbating adolescent obesity: An integrative systems approach.
Aguiar, A; Rajah, JK; CONWAY-MOORE, K; Savona, N; KNAI, C; Vlad, I; Samdal, O; Rutter, H; Lien, N; Kopainsky, B;
2025
Social science & medicine (1982)
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