Career Development Fellow

Physical Activity and Public Health

Left the Unit in 2017

Work and interests

Cornelia was a medical anthropologist within the Physical Activity and Public Health programme with an interest in developing an ethnographic social science perspective on how chronic illness and its prevention – in practice and policy – shape everyday social lives in a variety of settings and contexts. She left the Unit in February 2017.

Background and experience

In her research dissertations Cornelia investigated changing work patterns and patient care in light of a new hospital finance system and coping strategies of children with juvenile arthritis. Cornelia’s PhD research explored Turkish immigrant experiences with diabetes care in Berlin, Germany. After her PhD, she undertook research on physical activity in British Pakistani women in the North East of England (Durham University), and joined the MRC Epidemiology Unit and the Centre of Excellence for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) in Cambridge as a research associate and qualitative lead on the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study to understand decision-making and social contexts of active travel. Cornelia then worked as a lecturer within the public health group at the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill, Barbados) from January 2011 to January 2014. Her research focused on chronic illness experiences and practices as well as policy planning and implementation in the Caribbean region.

Cornelia joined CEDAR again in March 2014 and worked within the Physical Activity and Public Health group researching practices and perceptions of active and sedentary living.

Publications

• View Cornelia’s publications on Google Scholar
• MRC Epidemiology Unit publications on the Publications Database

Selected publications

1. Barnett I, Guell C & Ogilvie D. 2013. How do couples influence each other’s physical activity behaviours in retirement: an exploratory qualitative study. BMC Public Health 13: 1197. PMID: 24350889
2. Guell C, Panter J & Ogilvie D. 2013. Walking and cycling to work despite reporting an unsupportive environment: insights from a mixed-method exploration of counterintuitive findings. BMC Public Health 13: 497. PMID: 23705951
3. Guell C & Ogilvie D. 2013. Picturing commuting: photovoice and seeking well-being in everyday travel. Qualitative Research. Epub ahead of print.
4. Barnett I, Guell C & Ogilvie D. 2012. The experience of physical activity and the transition to retirement: a systematic review and integrative synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 9(1): 97. PMID: 22897911
5. Guell C, Panter J, Jones N & Ogilvie D. 2012. Towards a differentiated understanding of active travel behaviour: using social theory to explore everyday commuting. Social Science & Medicine 75(1): 233-239. PMID: 22486840
6. Guell C. 2011. Candi(e)d action: biosocialities of Turkish Berliners living with diabetes. Medical Anthropology Quarterly 25(3): 377–394. PMID: 22007563
7. Guell C. 2007. Painful childhood: Children living with juvenile arthritis. Qualitative Health Research 17(7): 884-892. PMID: 17724100