Richard Cooper

Professor Richard Cooper is Professor of Public Health and Social Pharmacy at the University of Sheffield's School of Medicine and Population Health, based in the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR). He has been at the University of Sheffield since 2007 and maintains an active research program in public health, pharmacy, and medical ethics.

His educational background includes PhD, MA, LLB, BSc, and PGCertHE qualifications. Cooper studied pharmacy as his first degree before pursuing law and health care ethics at the University of Leeds, with his PhD undertaken at the University of Nottingham focusing on empirical studies of ethics in healthcare.

Professor Cooper's research primarily employs qualitative and mixed methods approaches to investigate critical issues in public health and pharmacy practice. His work spans several interconnected domains including medicine misuse and addiction, over-the-counter and prescription medicine supply, medical sociology, and pharmacy ethics. His recent research has increasingly focused on global health challenges, particularly in Ghana and The Gambia, examining cancer care, medication beliefs, and health system barriers.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on qualitative methodologies to explore patient experiences, medication use patterns, and health system challenges in both UK and international contexts. His work demonstrates a consistent focus on marginalized populations and health inequities, with growing attention to decolonizing global health research paradigms.

• FRSPH (Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health)
• SFHEA (Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy)
• MRPharmS (Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society)
• Registered pharmacist (GPhC regn 2038210)
• Fellow of the Society for the Study of Addiction

Professor Cooper has successfully supervised numerous postgraduate students, including Chloe Tuck, Menghan Wang, and Yetenta Osasu, with research focusing on global health, medication use, and public health policy. His grant portfolio includes significant projects such as the Opioid Analgesic Dependence Study (£199,000), HTA Project on pain relief strategies for chronic wounds (£221,413), and the European Master in Public Health program (€4,272,000). He contributes extensively to teaching, coordinating the Qualitative Research Design and Analysis module and teaching medical ethics and substance misuse topics across MPH and MBChB programs.

His professional activities span editorial roles for Pharmaceutical Issues Journal and International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, regular peer reviewing, and membership in numerous professional organizations including the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Royal Society of Public Health, Society for the Study of Addiction, British Sociological Association, and Institute of Medical Ethics.