Professor of Transport and Health Modelling
Programme lead – Public health modelling

Prof James Woodcock leads the Public Health Modelling group. James develops models to help understand the health impacts of changes to how we travel and how such changes might occur.

Qualifications

PhD, MSc, BA(Hons)

Background and experience

James joined CEDAR in 2011 and initiated the Public Health Modelling Group in 2013. He has led on the development of policy relevant transport health impact models (ITHIM) and spatially detailed behaviour change potential models (PCT).

Current work and interests

James is a European Research Council Consolidator Grant holder. James’ research focuses on modelling health and sustainability. He has particular interest in how we can improve health in the transition to a zero carbon transport system.  His work investigates health impacts of changes to transport systems, developing detailed and realistic exposure scenarios, and modelling how changes could be brought about.

If you are looking to work with or join us

If you are interested in doing a summer project, short term collaboration, or longer term a PhD or a post-doctoral position with the group please get in touch.

We are particularly interested in applicants with the following skills/ to collaborate on the following topics:

• Travel behaviours and health impact models of transport in lower and middle income country cities
• Road Injury Risk: Investigating the road traffic injury risk posed and faced by different road users in different settings. In particular how injury risks faced by pedestrians and cyclists can be reduced, including the factors contributing to the ‘safety in numbers’ phenomena.
• Uncertainty in complex simulation models (in this case a collaboration with MRC BioStatistics Unit may be possible)
  
• Computer vision: working with imaging data such as satellite or street level to estimate travel behaviours and environmental determinants (a link with DAMTP might be possible)
• GIS and developing measures of the built enviornment

We are also interested in projects that would involve collaborations with other CEDAR and MRC Epi Unit Programmes.

Publications

• MRC Epidemiology Unit publications on Publications Database

Current and recent grants

• 2022- 2025 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London. £1.5 million. (Co-I)
• 2020-2023: MRC/NHMRC. Joining health Impact models of transport with models of the Built Environment (JIBE). £1 million. Joint PI with Prof Billie Giles-Corti
• 2019-2021: National School of Public Health Research. A national Road User Charging scheme in the United Kingdom: modelled impacts on health. £150,000 (Co-I)
• 2019-2021:Integral: Robust and Efficient Analysis Approaches of Remote Imagery for Assessing Population and Forest Health in India: EPSRC. (PI: Schönlieb, C)
• 2019-2024: GLASST: Global and Local health Assessment of Transport, European Research Council Consolidator Award €2m (PI)
• 2019: Re-visioning Transport and Health. £70k. (PI)
• 2018-2020: National School of Public Health Research. Evaluating use and acceptability of, funding mechanisms and demand for online spatial data visualisation tools for local public health decision-support: learning from Feat 2.0 and PCT. National School of Public Health Research. £150k. (CI)
• 2018: Developing the Propensity to Cycle Tool for Wales. Welsh Assembly £15k. (PI)
• 2018: Cycling and Walking Evidence Review. Public Health England. £20k. (PI)
• 2017-2020: Scalable behavioural weight management programme for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, NIHR Programme Grant £1,846k PI: Griffin S. & Ahern A.
• 2017-2020: Modelling The MEthods and Tools for Assessing the Health Impacts of Transport: modelling study (METAHIT), MRC Methods Panel £420k (PI)
• 2017-2020: Is 20 plenty for health? Evaluation of the 20mph speed limit networks in Edinburgh and Belfast on a range of public health outcomes, NIHR £909k. PI Jepson R. Co-investigator.
• 2017-2019: Towards an Integrated Global Transport and Health Assessment Tool (TIGTHAT), MRC Global Challenges.£420k. (PI)
• 2016-2017: Research into valuing health impacts in Transport Appraisal, Department for Transport. £46k (PI)
• 2015-2016: Propensity to Cycle for Greater Manchester, ESPRC Impact Acceleration Award £42k (PI)
• 2015-2017: Development and evaluation of system dynamics methods to engage with policy makers on the prevention and control of diabetes in a middle income region, MRC/Wellcome Trust £104k  (CI). PI Unwin N.
  
• 2015-2019: National Propensity to Cycle Tool Project (stages 1-3), Department for Transport  c.£500k (PI/ academic lead)
• 2014-2015: Microsimulation model of the Health Checks Programme £65k (PI)
• 2013-2016: Lifelong Health and Wellbeing. Characterising patterns and changes in physical activity in older people and their determinants and consequences. £793K, Co-applicant. PI: Griffin S.
• 2013-2016: MRC Population Health Scientist Fellowship, 3 years. £393K
• 2013-2014: Changing Commutes: Exploring the uptake of cycling to work through an agent-based model focusing on social interactions and social norms. ESRC £200k (PI)
• 2012-2013: Modelling the Health Impact of London Walking and Cycling Targets. Greater London Authority £10k (PI)
• 2012-2013: Modelling Health and Sustainability in Transport and Food Systems. MRC Centenary Award £39k (PI)
• 2012-2013: Modelling on the Move: Towards Transport System Transitions? £17k (CI)