Research Interests
Open to PhD applications in the field of
- Development and application of systems thinking and complex systems science lens and methods to public health subjects, including but not limited to population patterns of health-related behaviours, determinants of non-communicable diseases, urban health, and health inequalities.
- Physical activity and public health, particularly the determinants of population levels of and inequalities in physical activity and the consequent population health impacts.
Public outreach & key achievements
- Developed the first agent-based model to study how population levels of recreational physical activity are shaped and sustained by the dynamic interaction between individuals and their social and built environments (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-018-0750-9 and https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0553-4 ).
- Awarded the American Journal of Preventive Medicine’s best paper of 2016, for the paper "All-cause mortality attributable to sitting time: analysis of 54 countries worldwide" (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2016.01.022). - Member of the Guideline Development Group for the World Health Organization 2020 Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128).
- Member of the Scientific Committee for the first Brazilian Guidelines on Physical Activity.
Research students
| PhD Title | Association between friendship quality and mental health and well-being in adolescents: social network analysis and investigation of moderators and mediators |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Phd Title | Applying a systems approach to increase population level physical activity |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Phd Title | A systems approach to control of emerging infections diseases |
| Country | Kuwait |