Benjamin Barr

I am a Professor in Applied Public Health. My research focuses on using natural experiments to evaluate the health inequalities impact of local and national social, welfare, economic and health policies. I have a particular interest in research that enables local government to promote health equity by addressing the social determinants of health. My recent research has included assessing the health inequalities impact of NHS resource allocation policy and the English health inequalities strategy, demonstrating the link between welfare reforms and adverse mental health outcomes and evaluating the impact of multiple local authority, NHS and community initiatives that aim to reduce health inequalities.  
 
From 2020, I took over from Professor Dame Margaret Whitehead as the Head of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Policy Research on Determinants of Health Equity, hosted in the Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems. The Centre’s work for WHO has encompassed a full range of issues from ethics to action, including concepts and principles of equity for health, strategies for tackling social inequalities in health, and an initiative to develop indicators of policy progress across Europe.