Christopher Dayson

Professor Christopher Dayson is a leading academic in Voluntary Action, Health, and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University. He holds a Professorship in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) and co-leads the Research Pillar at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC). His work focuses on the role of the voluntary and community sector in health and social care integration, social prescribing, and creative health approaches to address health inequalities. He has led major projects funded by UK Research and Innovation, the Medical Research Council (MRC), and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Dayson's research portfolio includes a £2.1m project on creative health and community assets, part of the UKRI programme to tackle health inequalities, and a five-year £5m NIHR-funded Wakefield Health Determinants Research Collaboration. He has authored numerous publications on social prescribing, community resilience during the pandemic, and policy evaluations.

His academic leadership includes roles in the National Academy for Social Prescribing's International Evidence Collaborative. He advises on policy and practice at local, national, and international levels, with a focus on integrating community assets into health systems. Dayson has collaborated with organizations like the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Aging Better initiatives. His work emphasizes co-production, equity, and evidence-based approaches to enhance health outcomes through community engagement.

Education: BA (Hons), MA. Supervision: Open to PhD candidates in voluntary sector roles in health, social care integration, and social innovation.