MRC Epidemiology UnitResearch Associate
Population Health Interventions
Current work and interests
Alexia is a Research Associate in The Mandala Consortium, which aims to transform Birmingham’s food system to improve population and planetary health. In this role, she is using complex systems approaches to map the current food system in Birmingham, identify leverage points for systems change and evaluate the impact of strategic actions on the food system.
Background and experience
Alexia has a background in Psychology (MA; University of Edinburgh) and Health Psychology (MSc; University College London) and completed her PhD in 2018, based at the Department of Behavioural Science and Health and the Bartlett Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, University College London. Her PhD used mixed-methods to understand how the social and physical environment influences neighbourhood-based physical activity in Glasgow and was part-funded by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health. Reflecting her interest in policy and knowledge translation, Alexia completed a 3-month internship with the What Works team in the Implementation Unit at the Cabinet Office.
Prior to joining the Unit, Alexia was a Research Associate at Amsterdam University Medical Centres, working in the JPI-EU Policy Evaluation Network on the equity impact of diet and physical activity policies. During this time, she lectured on health promotion and complex systems approaches at University College Amsterdam and worked with the municipality of Amsterdam to develop a logic framework of the Amsterdam Healthy Weight Approach. Alexia has been a Design Council Expert since 2015, focusing on healthy place-making.