Heather Ward

Dr. Heather Ward is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Imperial College London, Faculty of Medicine. She holds a BSc from the University of Waterloo (2003), an MSc from the University of Toronto (2005), and a PhD from the University of Cambridge (2011). Her research focuses on nutritional epidemiology, particularly examining lifestyle exposures (diet, physical activity) in relation to chronic diseases like cancer and all-cause mortality. She co-leads the CHARIOT-PRO study investigating diet’s role in dementia prevention among older adults. Her work leverages large cohort studies such as the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), analyzing dietary patterns, obesity metrics, and biomarkers. Recent studies address topics ranging from traffic safety in gig economy workers to the impact of health literacy on patient outcomes.

**Education:**

• BSc in Health Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada (2003)
• MSc in Nutritional Science, University of Toronto, Canada (2005)
• PhD in Epidemiology, University of Cambridge (2011)

**Research Interests:**

• Lifestyle factors in chronic disease prevention
• Nutritional epidemiology and public health policy
• Biostatistical methods in large cohort studies
• Epidemiological analysis of diet-cancer and diet-dementia links

Her articles highlight trends in dietary epidemiology, occupational safety, and translational research. Key themes include cohort-based disease risk modeling, health policy implications of nutritional scoring systems (e.g., Nutri-Score), and methodological advancements in observational studies. She actively contributes to multidisciplinary teams addressing global health challenges such as road safety for gig workers and mental health comorbidities.

**Grants & Advising:**

• Co-Investigator in CHARIOT-PRO (dementia prevention)
• Contributions to EU-funded road safety initiatives

No formal advisees are listed in the provided materials.