Having graduated as an engineer in biological sciences, with a Masters in cellular nutrition and a PhD in sociology, I am a lifelong researcher. As a social scientist, I have expertise in marginalisation, welfare and wellbeing. My work focuses on understanding processes of engagement for groups which are often deemed ‘hard to reach’ or in situations of social or health precarity. I have expertise in a number of research methodologies and I am particularly known for my innovative work in realist approaches to research.

I am Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange for the department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing; Associate Director of Fuse (The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health (http://www.fuse.ac.uk) and deputy lead for the theme of Health Inequalities and Marginalised Communities of the NIHR North East North Cumbria Applied Research Collaboration (https://arc-nenc.nihr.ac.uk/).

I have held awards, as Principal Investigator and collaborator, totalling over £11 million from funders including the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), which focus on knowledge translation and on the experiences of people who are marginalised or find themselves in situation of social or health precarity.

My research is two pronged. On the one hand it focuses on the use of metaphors and discursive formations in culturally specific understandings of key societal concepts such death, attachment, or quality of life. On the other hand, I focus on the pragmatic understanding of ‘what works’ in service delivery to meet the needs of people who may have complex and multiple needs. I use theory to explain the vagaries of public health interventions in their broadest possible sense, with a focus on the broader societal and structural determinants of health. Thus methodologically, as well as embracing postmodern approaches to research, I have expertise in soft system methodology and realist evaluation and synthesis.