I am a Consultant Senior Lecturer in Public Health. My research interests include:

• Prevention of harmful alcohol use and inequalities in alcohol-related harms
• Development of a digital web intervention to prevent excessive alcohol use and related harms among young people
• Prevention of bacterial (skin and soft tissue) infections among people who inject dugs
• Interventions to prevent multiple risk behaviour

Prior to my current role, I held a NIHR postdoctoral fellowship which focused on social influences on young people’s alcohol use. Building on the findings of this research, I have led development of a prototype digital web intervention (‘Rethink Alcohol’) which aims to prevent excessive alcohol use and related harms among young people aged 14-15 years, as Principal Investigator. Development and user testing of the prototype website was supported by my NIHR postdoctoral fellowship and the NIHR School for Public Health Research.

I recently led a qualitative study (the VIDA study), supported by Alcohol Change UK, to explore parental views around adolescent alcohol use and conducted a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis regarding individual, family and school-based interventions to prevent multiple risk behaviour in young people. 

Keywords

• Alcohol
• Qualitative Research
• Digital intervention
• Meta-Analysis
• Risk behaviour
• Substance Misuse

Methodologies

• Systematic review
• Meta-analysis
• Qualitative research
• Intervention development

Teaching

I am Co-Unit Lead for the Essentials in Public Health unit for the MSc Public Health. Since 2011, I have contributed to teaching of the public health and evidence-based medicine elements of Community Oriented Medical Practice (COMP) for 4th year medical students. I am also involved in delivery of revision courses for Specialty Registrars in Public Health on the South West Public Health training scheme prior to the Part A examination.