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Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing
Our people
We have researchers working across all three faculties on projects and partnerships relating to public health and wellbeing.
Our core team
Dr Zainab Altai
Research Fellow
School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex
Professor Victoria Bird
Professor
Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Dr John Day
Lecturer
School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
Natalie Evans
Research Officer - World Heart Federation (WHF) and PhD student
Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Alvin Hui
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Dr Sara Jalali-Farahani
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Tracey Johns
Senior Research Officer
School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
Dr Emily Murray
Director
Centre for Coastal Communities, University of Essex
Lauren O'Connell
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Dr Katie Peterson
Research Fellow
Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Dr Ruoyu Wang
Research Fellow
School of Health and Social Care, University of EssexPost-doctoral opportunities
We’re committed to supporting the next generation of researchers in public health and wellbeing.
Further opportunities will be listed here when they are available.
IPHW PhD Scholars
Halima Dandor
PhD student
School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
Natalie Evans
Research Officer - World Heart Federation (WHF) and PhD student
Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
Ben Gould
PhD student
School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
Leila Mirza
PhD student
School of Health and Social Care, University of EssexHonorary members
Honorary professors
- Aliko Ahmed, Regional Director of Public Health for East of England
- Ed Garratt, Chief Executive (designate), Norfolk and Suffolk ICB
- Ben Hughes, Head of Wellbeing and Public Health at Essex County Council
- Lucy Wightman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nurse of Provide Health
Visiting fellows
- Renée Robey, Healthwatch Essex – NIHR Mental Health Leadership Award, Programme PPIE Lead
- Abbas Salami, researcher
- John Ronayne, YuLife
- Oscar O’Mara, researcher
- Hannah Taylor, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Rejoice Frimpong, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Emma Weinstein Sheffield, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Dimitra Mouriki, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Steven Barclay, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Tom Douglass, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Jack Head, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Kelly Marks, HDRC Greater Essex (Southend-on-Sea City Council)
- Kate Williams, HDRC Greater Essex (Thurrock Council)
- Jenny Long, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Jo Winterburn, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Martine Mackman, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Robin Harbord, HDRC Greater Essex (Essex County Council)
- Emma Carey (Essex County Council)
- Julia Gawronska (Essex County Council)
IPHW Advisory Board
The IPHW Advisory Board represents the range of stakeholders involved in the IPHW and is responsible for advising the Director of the IPHW at a strategic level on matters of:
- The strategic direction of the Institute and strategic priorities
- The research agenda
- Funding opportunities
- Collaborations and partnerships
- Engagement with students
- Wider community projects
- Policy engagement
- Impact
The Advisory Board also has a role in communicating the Institute’s strategy and role to a wide audience via its members’ existing networks of contacts.
The Board includes University and external members, invited to cover the breadth of stakeholders relevant to the Institute.
Membership of the IPHW Advisory Board 2024-2026
- Tom Abell (Chief Executive, NHS Essex ICB)
- Thankom Arun (Faculty Dean for Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Essex)
- Dorina Buda (Faculty Dean for Research, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Essex)
- Edd Codling (Faculty Dean for Research, Faculty of Science and Health, University of Essex)
- Mariachiara di Cesare (Director, Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex)
- Pamela Donnelly (Chief Executive, Colchester City Council)
- Carla Ferstman (Director, Human Rights Centre, University of Essex)
- Sarah Foley (Chief Research Officer, African Families in the UK)
- Ed Garratt (Chief Executive, NHS Norfolk and Suffolk ICB)
- Sam Glover (Kate Mahoney) (Chief Executive Officer, Healthwatch Essex)
- Vicky Joffe (Dean of Integrated Healthcare Partnerships, University of Essex)
- Anuj Kapilashrami (Director, Centre for Global Health and Intersectional Equity Research, University of Essex)
- Stavroula Karapapa (Dean of Partnerships, University of Essex)
- Meena Kumari (Director, ISER, University of Essex)
- Mark Lim (NHS Essex ICB)
- Susan McPherson (Deputy Director, Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex)
- Haris Mouratidis (Director, Institute for Analytics and Data Science, University of Essex)
- Sarah Muckle (ECC Director of Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities)
- Emily Murray (Director, Centre for Coastal Communities, University of Essex)
- Krishna Ramkhelawon (Director of Public Health, Southend City Council)
- Hareem Rehan (Vice-President – Welfare, Students Union, University of Essex)
- Kez Spelman (Director for Innovation and Community Resilience, Provide Community)
- Matt Sweeting (Executive Medical Director, NHS Essex ICB) (from April 2026)
- Lucy Wightman (Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nurse of Provide Health)
- Louise Willsher (Strategic Head of Innovation and Growth, Community 360)
IPHW Associate Members
These are researchers who conduct research aligned with the mission and objectives of the IPHW and express interest in affiliating with IPHW. They support and collaborate on IPHW research and represent the IPHW (where appropriate and mutually agreed).
There are mutual benefits from being an Associate Member, and benefits from the interdisciplinary and interdepartmental relationships that are formed, such as diversifying areas of research expertise, strengthening links across the University, and enhancing capacity to respond to calls for funding, requiring bespoke interdisciplinary expertise, in a timely way.
Please email the IPHW (institutepublichealthwellbeing@essex.ac.uk) if you are interested in becoming an Associate Member.
Current Associate Members
- Edith Aguirre - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Zibiah Alfred Loakthar - Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
- Chris Antonopoulos - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Oludare Ariyo - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Caroline Bald - School of Health and Social Care
- Yanchun Bao - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Jo Barton - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Aleksandra Birn-Jeffery - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Andrew Brinkley - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Katie Chadd - School of Health and Social Care
- Nicholas Clark - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Paul Clarke - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Edward Codling - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Nelson Cortes - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Camille Cronin - School of Health and Social Care
- John Day - School of Health and Social Care
- Anna Dearman - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Emilia Del Bono - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Neli Demireva - Department of Sociology and Criminology
- Izzie Easton - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Saideh Ferdowsi - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Norman Gabriel - Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
- Vasileios Giagos - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Emily Grundy - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Emilia Halton-Hernandez - Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
- Angus Holford - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Laurie James-Hawkins - Department of Sociology and Criminology
- Sue Kegerreis - Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
- Yunlong Liang - Institute of Social and Economic Research
- Ruth Lowry - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences
- Renee Luthra - Department of Sociology and Criminology
- Peter Lynn - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Osama Mahmoud - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Reza Majdzadeh - School of Health and Social Care
- Felipe Maldonado - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Chris McManus - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Kelly Murray - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Sharon Stella Musonza - Institute of Social Economic Research (ISER)
- Alita Nandi - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Brad Neal - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Luke Olsson - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Anna Pettican - School of Health and Social Care
- Ursula Read - School of Health and Social Care
- Sarah Richardson - School of Health and Social Care
- Matteo Richiardi - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Milagros Ruiz - School of Health and Social Care
- Roisin Ryan-Flood - Department of Sociology and Criminology
- Vikki-Jo Scott - School of Health and Social Care
- Paulo Serodio - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Brandon Shaw - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences
- Ewen Speed - School of Health and Social Care
- Laura Ai Sim Tan - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) & School of Health and Social Care (HSC)
- Jim Vine - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Lisa Voigt - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
- Marita Vyrgioti - Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
- Wen Wang - Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER)
- Claire Wicks - School of Health and Social Care, and School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- Carly Wood - School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES)
- ZhiMin Xiao - School of Health and Social Care
- Na You - School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
Past members
Dr Tasos Papastylianou
Lecturer
School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex
Dr Honor Bixby
Lecturer in Global Health, St George’s, University of London
Professor Rob Stawski
Head of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), Utah State University
Dr Smruti Bulsari
Researcher
University of Oxford
Get in touch
Contact the Institute
