MRC Epidemiology UnitResearch Associate
Population Health Interventions
Current work and interests
Nancy is currently working with Dr Ben Hawkins and collaborators at the University of Bath on a project funded through the UKRI Population Health Improvement UK award to investigate the barriers and facilitators to local government action on public health problems and the commercial determinants of health in England.
Background and experience
Nancy’s research addresses how language is used to frame arguments in UK dietary public health policy. Her work employs qualitative methods drawn from sociology, political science, and policy studies. She completed her PhD at the Unit, supervised by Prof Martin White, Prof Jean Adams, and Dr Ben Hawkins. Her PhD focussed on how calorie labelling in the out-of-home sector in England was framed in academic, media, and policy stakeholder discourse.
Nancy received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Analysis and Biology at Pomona College in California. During her studies, she developed an interest in medical anthropology and ethics, and upon graduation, pursued a Master’s degree in Health, Medicine and Society at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge.
Her MPhil dissertation examined the ethical implications of folic acid fortification of grains. After completion of her MPhil, Nancy worked in the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath on its TobaccoTactics website as an investigative research assistant. In this post, she worked to expose tobacco industry strategies to undermine public health and developed an interest in commercial determinants of health.