Sarah Lester

Sarah Lester is a Researcher at the MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, where she focuses on systems science approaches to address health inequalities and climate resilience. Previously, she worked at the EPPI-Centre (University College London), producing evidence syntheses for policy partners like the Department of Health and Social Care and informing NICE guidelines. Her doctoral research, funded by NIHR ARC North Thames, examines how local authorities in England develop collaborative research infrastructure to tackle health inequalities and social determinants of health.

Her research interests include systems science frameworks, policy-practice interfaces, and climate resilience strategies. She contributes to the SIPHER Consortium (focusing on system science in public health economics) and the GALLANT programme (Climate Resilient City initiatives blending Doughnut Economics principles).

Her work spans qualitative research, data science, and systems modelling to support Wellbeing in All Policies frameworks. Key contributions include evaluations of embedded researcher roles in public health settings, systematic reviews on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and reports on sexual violence services.

Advising and grants: Her PhD is funded by NIHR ARC North Thames. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across academia, local government, and policy bodies to bridge research and practice gaps.