Anna is a Research Associate in Policy Studies, School of Social Work and Social Policy. 

Anna is an interdisciplinary social scientist concerned with public health policy and health inequalities. Her intention is to contribute to research evidence which supports policy decisions for a more equitable, just and healthy society. Her core research interests focus on the social and economic determinants of health, mental health and associated inequalities. In particular, she is interested in the relationship between evidence and public health policy, and the role of policy actors, academia and senior leaders in shaping policy processes. Prior to joining the University of Strathclyde in 2015 she trained and worked as a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS (2006-2014). Her experience of clinical practice in the NHS led her to consider ‘upstream’ determinants of health and to move into public health research. Anna holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Leeds, and an MA (Hons) in Psychology and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Glasgow.  She has experience of quantitative analysis of secondary data, qualitative methods, and evidence synthesis.

Currently Anna is working on the UK Prevention Research Partnership funded SIPHER project (www.sipher.ac.uk) where she works with Prof. Kat Smith and Dr Clemmie Hill O’Connor on Work Stream 1, focused on understanding policy processes, evidence needs and policy partner perspectives on societal valuations.   Anna is also working on an international study funded by Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) led by Prof. Patrick Fafard at the Global Strategy Lab, University of Ottawa which is examining the role of the Chief Medical Officer in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In 2018/19 she was Principal Investigator on a project funded by Barnado’s which produced two mapping overviews of universal and selective interventions for the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.  In 2016 she was Co-Investigator on a project funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh to complete a systematic overview of interventions intended to improve health, happiness and wellbeing for young people in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. 

Anna also has experience of delivering knowledge exchange activities and of supporting international collaborations.  Between 2016 and 2019 she was Project Coordinator for the European Commission Horizon 2020 funded 'Citizenship, Recovery and Inclusive Society Partnership', which shared learning on social inclusion and mental health between Europe and the United States. (www.crisppartnership.eu). 

Anna is a Member of the Royal Society for Public Health, and the Society for Social Medicine.  Between 2016 and 2018 she undertook secondments to New York University, and to the Finnish Association for Mental Health, Helsinki. 

My core (overlapping) research interests are:

• the social and economic determinants of health, mental health and health inequalities 
• public mental health and prevention
• the role of policy actors, academia and senior leaders in shaping 'upstream' healthy public policy 

I have experience of the following methods:

• Quantitative analysis of secondary data (including analysis of the Growing Up in Scotland longitudinal cohort)
• Qualitative methods (including thematic analysis and discourse analysis)
• Evidence synthesis (including systematic overviews)