MRC Epidemiology UnitPhD Student
Population Health Interventions
Left the Unit in 2020
Work and interests
Anna Le Gouais’ research involves the built environment and physical activity, particularly walking and cycling infrastructure and open spaces. She completed her PhD at the Unit in 2020.
Anna undertook a mixed methods PhD with a qualitative study looking into evidence and decision-making for walking and cycling infrastructure and open spaces (‘active living infrastructure’) in large new urban developments in England, involving participants from urban planning, transport planning, environment, public health, private sector developers and councillors. She performed a cross-cultural comparison with further qualitative research in Jamaica on this topic and is also interested in investigating knowledge exchange.
Her quantitative work includes evaluation of the effect of new walking and cycling routes in different contexts across the UK, based on data from Sustrans, and the iConnect study, looking at levels of use and physical activity.
Background and experience
Anna has an MEng degree in Engineering, Economics and Management from the University of Oxford. She started her career in civil engineering in the water sector, working for a multinational engineering consultancy. She then worked in international development following an MSc from Cranfield University in Water Management – Community Water and Sanitation. This included working on policy aspects of a major research programme for sustainability of rural water supplies in low income countries.