Alexandra Burton

Dr Alexandra Burton is a Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Research at Queen Mary University of London’s Wolfson Institute of Population Health. She holds an honorary position as Senior Research Fellow at University College London. Her work focuses on understanding how social, cultural, and community programs impact mental and physical health, particularly for individuals with severe mental illnesses and comorbidities. She specializes in qualitative methods, intervention development, and evaluating programs like social prescribing to address health inequalities.

Education: PhD in Applied Mental Health Research from UCL Division of Psychiatry (2020), exploring social support and cardiovascular health in severe mental illnesses.

Research Interests:

• Barriers and enablers to social engagement in mental health populations
• Interplay between physical and mental health
• Feasibility of arts-based and community wellness programs
• Social prescribing for marginalized groups

Awards: MQ Mental Health Fellows Award (current), grants from Rosetrees Trust, NIHR, and ESRC as Principal/Co-Investigator.

Advising & Grants: Supervises MSc/PhD students with interests in qualitative research and intervention design. Active in editorial roles for BMJ Open and MQ Transdisciplinary Research Grants.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates within the Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health, contributing to interdisciplinary projects on health equity and community-based interventions.