Centre for Public Health
Centre for Public Health
North Street, Liverpool L3 2AY
Research Directory 2004
Research is consolidated into five groups: Substance Use, Behavioural Epidemiology, the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), Sexual Health, and Health and Environment.The Centre for Public Health hosts one of the largest substance use research teams in the UK. It has an international reputation research on problematic drug users and their contact and treatment in health and criminal justice settings. As well as examining epidemiological and treatment issues, the substance use group also hosts
(with the Department of Health) the UK Focal Point for drugs. The Focal Point examines the state of drug use across the UK and reports back to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. The National Collaborating Centre for Drug Prevention is also based in the Substance Use unit and, in partnership with
the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, examines what works best nationally and internationally in drug prevention.
The Behavioural Epidemiology team undertakes the Centre’s work on nightlife health and violence. Club Health examines health in night-time environments and the risk behaviour of young people enjoying nightlife at home and abroad. The team works closely with the World Health Organization and is one of the founding members of
their initiative the Global Violence Prevention Alliance. Behavioural Epidemiology also hosts the Trauma and Injury Intelligence Group dataset, bringing together Accident and Emergency and ambulance data from across Cheshire and Merseyside. International collaborative work continues with the European research network IREFREA, and biennial international Club Health conferences organised by the Centre.
The NWPHO is one of nine regional public health intelligence organisations whose main aim is to strengthen the availability and use of information about health at local level by examining health and disease trends and highlighting areas for action, advising on methods for health and health inequality assessments, evaluating progress by local agencies in improving health and looking ahead to give early warning of future health problems. Nationally, the NWPHO is the leading Observatory for Drugs and Alcohol and HIV and leads on behalf of the Association of Public Health Observatories on Crime and Violence research and intelligence.
The sexual health team provides public health related research across a range of sexual health topics. It runs a range of HIV/AIDS intelligence system on behalf of the local health service and is developing new systems with the Health Protection Agency to monitor all Sexually Transmitted Infection. As well as original research the team also undertakes assessments and evaluations of sexual health services.
The Health and Environment team works provide an advisory and research capacity to address issues ranging from clinical waste disposal to the use of green space for exercise and entertainment. They support Government Office (North West), the Health Protection Agency, Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts with information and intelligence on health related environmental issues and undertake work examining the potential environmental impact of manufacturing processes (integrated pollution, prevention and control) on health in the North West.
The Centre attracts substantial annual research income (£1.6-2m) from external sources including at international (e.g. World Health Organization) nationally (e.g. Department of Health and Home Office) regional (Government Office North West and Health Protection Agency) and local (Primary Care Trusts and Drug (and Alcohol) Action Teams) levels.
In August 2004 the Faculty of Health and Applied Social Sciences was reconfigured in order for the vast majority of research active staff in the Faculty to be organised managerially within the Centre for Public Health. This has led to a review of the structure of this area of the Faculty, and has subsequently informed the planned
dissolution of two traditionally discrete research centres within the Faculty (the Centre for Research in Healthcare and the Institute for Health), but also the proposed creation of a Health Care and Social Sciences Research Institute to reflect the breadth and depth of expertise and skills of all staff. These changes will be reflected in the 2005 edition of the Research Directory.
Current Research Active Staff
Ms Zara Anderson BSc (Hons)
Research Interests: Trauma and injuries across Cheshire and Merseyside; public health issues in the nightlife economy with particular reference to violence; the relationship between substance misuse and criminal behaviour.
Tel: (0151) 231 4505. E-mail: z.a.anderson@livjm.ac.uk
Mr Matthew Ashton, BSc (Econ) Hons, MBA
Research interests: Sexual Health including the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections, STI outbreak management, and risk communication and behaviour change. Additionally, information management and communication.
Tel: (0151) 231 4517. E-mail: m.j.ashton@livjm.ac.uk
Mr Aaron Barker, BSc (Hons), MSc
Research interests: Tobacco control; epidemiology; inequalities in health; demographic variation in tobacco consumption; smoking prevalence and youth.
Tel: (0151) 231 4528. E-mail: a.barker@livjm.ac.uk
Professor Mark A. Bellis, BSc (Hons), PhD, MFPHM (Hon), Director, Centre for Public Health
Research Interests: Sexual health, Use and misuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco; Integrated approaches to health in nightlife environments; Public Health information, technology and intelligence systems; Behavioural epidemiology.
Tel: (0151) 231 4510. E-mail: m.a.bellis@livjm.ac.uk
Dr. Caryl Beynon BSc (Hons), PhD
Research Interests: Substance use and associated issues including estimating levels of problematic drug use, drug related deaths and the evaluation of a number of drug related services.
Tel: (0151) 231 4540. Email: c.m.beynon@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Diane Black, MSci (Hons)
Research Interests: Environmental public health including exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and chemical hazards.
Tel: (0151) 231 4443. E-mail: d.black@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Helen Casstles RGN, BSc (Hons)
Research Interests: Environmental Public Health including: air quality, land use, transport, hospital acquired infection, communicable diseases.
Tel: (0151) 231 5830. Email: h.casstles@livjm.ac.uk
Mr Martin Chandler BSc (Hons), PGCE, MSc
Research Interests: Substance use and associated behaviour; Evaluation of drug treatment systems, Development and implementation of harm reduction and drug treatment strategies.
Tel: (0151) 231 4531. Email: M.Chandler@livjm.ac.uk
Dr. Henrietta Collier, RG.N; MCommH; PhD
Research Interests: Organ donation/receipt among Ethnic Minority Groups; Social determinants of Health/Health Inequalities; Ethnic Health matters.
Tel: 0151 231 4392. Email h.e.collier@livjm.ac.uk
Dr Penny Cook, BSc(Hons), PhD
Research Interests: Sexual health and HIV epidemiology, knowledge and perceptions of health risks and risk taking behaviour, needs assessments and evaluations of sexual health and HIV services.
Tel: (0151) 231 4517. E-mail: p.a.cook@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Jenny Downing, BSc (Hons) MA
Research Interests: HIV/AIDS epidemiology and treatment and care; the development of tolerance zones for street prostitutes in the North West of England; the legal
and ethical issues of disclosing HIV status.
Tel: (0151) 231 4447. Email: j.downing1@livjm.ac.uk
Mr Paul Duffy, BSc (Hons)
Research interests: Substance Misuse and associated behaviour; relapse prevention evaluation; prison based detoxification services; the links between substance misuse and criminal behaviour; criminal justice and substance misuse interventions; safety in the night-time economy.
Tel: (0151) 231 4381. E-mail: p.duffy1@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Kimberley Edmonds, BA (hons)
Research interests: Government policy and guidance related to drug prevention, drug prevention interventions and their evaluation, dissemination of good practice in drug prevention, drug use behaviour among vulnerable young people.
Tel: (0151) 231 4545. E-mail: k.j.edmonds@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Sara Louise Elliott Edwards, BA (Hons)
Research interests: Nightlife and related health issues, including alcohol, recreational drug use, smoking, sexual health, violence and environmental health; drug
facilitated sexual assault.
Tel: (0151) 231 4505. E-mail: s.edwards@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Suzy Hargreaves, BA (Hons)
Research Interests: The relationship between socio-economic status and HIV in the UK; HIV treatment and care.
Tel: (0151) 231 4448. E-mail s.mitchell@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Karen Hughes, BSc (Hons)
Research interests: Nightlife and related health issues, including alcohol, recreational drug use, smoking, sexual health, violence and environmental health; risk
behaviour of young people travelling to nightlife tourism destinations.
Tel: (0151) 231 4384. E-mail: k.e.hughes@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Sara Hughes, BSc (Hons) MSc
Research interests: The effects of weather on public health; levels of drug, alcohol and tobacco use among Liverpool secondary school pupils.
Tel: (0151) 231 4384. E-mail: s.k.hughes@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Andrea Hutchinson, BSc (Hons)
Research Interests: Violence, epidemiology, inequalities in health and diabetes, service health care provision for asylum seekers and refugees, port health, forensic
psychology with regards to criminal behaviour. Substance misuse within society.
Tel: (0151) 231 4387. E-mail: a.hutchinson@livjm.ac.uk
Mrs Alyson Jones, BSc (Hons)
Research Interests: Sexual health, teenage pregnancy, contraceptive services.
Tel: (0151) 231 4445. Email: a.m.jones@livjm.ac.uk
Mr Gwyn Jones, BSc (Hons) MPH
Research Interests: Environmental Public Health including assessing the impacts that industrial emissions have on both the local and wider communities in which such
premises are located, urban air quality and the remediation of land that has been contaminated by previous industrial use.
Tel: (0151) 231 4082. Email: g.jones@livjm.ac.uk
Rose Khatri, RGN, RCM, BA (Hons), MA (Econ)
Research Interests: Indigenous Knowledge in Health Development - methods for inclusion modes of exclusion; Indigenous and Traditional Healing Practices in Nepal;
International health development; Comparative health policy; Community Participation.
Tel: (0151) 231 4548. E-mail r.j.khatri@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Ayesha Khundakar, BA (Hons), MSc
Research Interests: Substance misuse and associated behaviours; the evaluation of criminal justice interventions for drug users; the psychological effects of
recreational drug use, in particular ecstasy use.
Tel: (0151) 231 5863. E-mail a.khundakar@livjm.ac.uk
Dr Conan Leavey Ph.D
Research interests: health decision-making, qualitative methods and the influence of culture on the experience of health and illness. Also, interested in indigenous
knowledge and health development.
Tel: (0151) 231 4391. Email: c.leavey@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Helena Marian Lunt, MPH, RGN, CSP
Research Interests: Educating Doctors, Purchasing in Primary Care, Health Inequalities,Childhood Accidental Injuries, Schisms in Public Health and Clinical Medicine.
Tel: (0151) 231 4549. E-mail: h.lunt@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Mary Lyons,BSc (Hons) PGCE, RGN, MPH
Research Interests: Education for the public's health; the development of tools for benchmarking best practice in integrated health and social care in the community;
health needs assessment for contraception, abortion and fertility services.
Tel: (0151) 231 5842. E-mail: m.lyons@livjm.ac.uk
Yuko McGrath, BSc (Hons)
Research Interests: Substance use: prevention and treatment. Factors and decision-making process that maintain and re-instate addictive behaviour.
Tel: (0151) 231 4543. E-mail: y.mcgrath@livjm.ac.uk
Dr Clare McVeigh BA(hons) MSc PhD
Research interests: Violence from a public health perspective, Traveller's Health with a focus on English Gypsies, Palaeopathology with an emphasis on the history and
prehistory of infectious diseases.
Tel: (0151) 231 4387. E-mail: c.mcveigh@livjm.ac.uk
Mr Jim McVeigh, RGN, MSc
Research Interests: Substance use: drug related services and their evaluation, the history and development of harm reduction, government drug related strategy and
policy, crime and problematic drug use, anabolic steroids and associated performance enhancing drugs.
Tel: (0151) 231 4512. E-mail: j.mcveigh@livjm.a##c.uk
Miss Michela Morleo, BA (Hons), MA
Research interests: the drug situation in the UK and across Europe, drug prevention and harm reduction, drink spiking, communications and media liaison in public
health.
Tel: (0151) 231 4535. E-mail: m.j.morleo@livjm.ac.uk
Mrs Liz Ollerton, BSc (Hons)
Research interests: Children’s health, hand hygiene education in schools, food, health and the environment, food and the elderly, health of gypsies and travellers,
smoking in public places, smoking in school children.
Tel: (0151) 231 4390. E-mail: pbheolle@livjm.ac.uk
Dr Liz Potts, BSc (Hons), MPhil, PhD
Research interests: Public health issues relating to the environment, in particular Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and potential public health impacts.
Tel: (0151) 231 4402. E-mail: l.potts@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Pauline Rimmer, BSc (Hons)
Research Interests: HIV and AIDS treatment and care in the North West of England; Sexual Health Issues in the North West of England; geographical mapping of data.
Tel: (0151) 231 4449. E-mail:p.rimmer@livjm.ac.uk
Dr Harry Sumnall, BSc (Hons), PhD
Research Interests: Drug prevention; psychopharmacology of entactogens and hallucinogens; addictive behaviours, with a particular focus on the causes,
consequences and experiences of drug use.
Tel 07968422536 ext: 8536. E-mail: h.sumnall@livjm.ac.uk
Dr Karen Tocque BSc (Hons), PhD
Research Interests: Public health; health scrutiny; health inequalities; information management; information technology; interoperability; eGIF; eGMS; tobacco control;
smoking; communicable diseases; surveillance; data systems; data standards; epidemiology; behavioural epidemiology; health mapping
Tel: (0151) 231 4524. E-mail: k.tocque@livjm.ac.uk
Ms Rachel Whalley BA (hons) PG DIP
Research interests: The link between substance misuse and criminal behavior with a focus on the evaluation of interventions within the Criminal Justice System aimed
at identifying drug misusing offenders and moving them into treatment. Drug testing within custody suites; effectiveness of treatment orders issued by courts; rates of
re-offending.
Tel: (0151) 231 4381. Email: r.whalley@livjm.ac.uk