Alice Dalton

Alice Dalton is a Senior Research Associate at the Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, specializing in population health and the application of geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis to understand how natural and built environments influence human health and behavior. She is actively engaged in research evaluating public health interventions related to active travel, physical activity, and health equity in collaboration with Norfolk County Council, Sustrans, and national research units such as the MRC Epidemiology Unit and the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR).

• PhD in Built Environment Research, University of the West of England (2010)
• MA in Applied Social Research, University of the West of England (2009)
• MSc in Geographical Information Science, Birkbeck, University of London (2006)
• BSc in Human and Physical Geography, University of Reading (2001)

Her research interests lie at the intersection of public health, geography, and urban planning, with a strong focus on using GPS and GIS technologies to evaluate interventions such as School Streets, cycling programs, and walking schemes. She investigates how access to green space, urban design, and transport infrastructure affect physical activity, mental health, and chronic disease outcomes. Her work emphasizes health equity, spatial analysis, and evidence-based policy development.

The 15 most recent articles highlight a consistent trend in evaluating real-world public health programs, particularly in active travel and environmental health. Her research increasingly leverages objective data from GPS and accelerometers, integrates spatial equity assessments, and contributes to post-pandemic health recovery strategies. Topics include diabetes prevention, mental health referrals, emergency care utilization, and the impact of transport infrastructure on health behaviors.

She has been recognized with a Fellowship from Advance HE (2024), reflecting her contributions to research and higher education. This award underscores her commitment to excellence in academic practice.

Alice Dalton has contributed to teaching at UEA by leading the Research Methods module for third-year medical students. She has collaborated extensively with public health agencies, research networks, and interdisciplinary teams. Her projects include the Active Travel Programme Evaluation, Health Data Interpretation Group, and the Promoting Physical Activity in Older Age study using the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. She has also played a key role in national evaluations such as the Walking for Health and Healthy Towns programmes.

She is a core member of research teams working on projects funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Macmillan, Ramblers, and the Department for Transport. Her leadership in spatial analysis and evaluation frameworks has supported evidence generation for policy and practice in public health and urban planning.