Personal statement

I joined the University of Strathclyde in August 2024 as a Lecturer in Health and Wellbeing. My research focuses on health and wellbeing (HWB) of children and young people, health inequities, and the poverty-related attainment gap, and takes an interdisciplinary approach - drawing on theories from psychology, sociology, public health, and education to understand health promotion in schools. My prior research examined discursive constructions of HWB in curriculum and policy and how this influences school practice, and my doctoral study explored how a Scottish secondary school conceptualised and supported HWB for pupils from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. I am also part of the UK PE Collaborative, a team of researchers across the four nations of the UK exploring HWB and PE enactment in schools. Before joining Strathclyde, I worked at the University of Edinburgh teaching modules on health and wellbeing, health promotion, and qualitative research methods for public health. Previously, I completed a BA in Psychology and Social Behaviour at the University of California, Irvine (USA) as well as a MSc in Public Health with Distinction and a PhD in Education both at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to academia, I practiced as an oral healthcare clinician within the state of California, with experience in direct patient care, health promotion, and health education.