My research is on health geography, health surveillance and the outcomes that can be measured through large and complex health data sets. Currently I have two major areas of research: firstly in health behaviours and outcomes associated with alcohol consumption and physical activity, and occupational and older people’s health and wellbeing.

In the alcohol research area I have worked on alcohol geographies examining how regional variations in drinking practises in England are associated with differences in attitude to alcohol consumption and to drunkenness. I presented this work at the House of Commons in 2010 and fed into evidence in the Health Committee Government’s Alcohol Strategy in 2012-13. I have also published BMA funded research showing the association between alcohol calories and obesity. Other work has included underreporting of alcohol consumption and the potential for overestimation of the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption in conjunction with PhD students. ESRC funded work on alcohol consumption in older people has been motivated by the Royal College of Physicians recommendations to reduce the maximum unit limits for older people and by the increase in numbers of older people who are drinking above current limits. www.ucl.ac.uk/arig  

In the area of physical activity I have looked at how a decline physical activity in older age is associated with retirement even after adjustment for health and obesity despite older working people citing a lack of time for exercise. Collaborative work has looked at how non screen sedentary behaviour is associated with low deprivation and TV watching is associated with higher deprivation. Other work has drawn together the relationship between physical activity and alcohol consumption and health. Innovative research with a Crucible funded PhD student looked at how developing physical active virtual field trips for school classrooms reduces sedentary time in the classroom and may aid learning and recall. https://virtualtravellerstudy.wordpress.com/