Dr Alison McKinlay is a Research Fellow in Social Science at the Institute of Epidemiology and Healthcare, where she is part of the Social Biobehavioural Research Group and WHO Collaborating Centre for Arts & Health. She is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and an Associate of the Royal Society for Public Health.

Alison completed her degree in psychology at Massey University, New Zealand. After moving to the UK in 2015, she began working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, where her work was focused on health-related experiences of stigma and health service evaluation and interventions.

Currently, she is working as a team member on the COVID-19 Social Study, investigating the mental health implications of the pandemic. She also researches interventions for people who have experienced violence and abuse.