Carrie Purcell

Dr. Carrie Purcell is an Honorary Research Fellow in The Open University's School of Health & Wellbeing. Previously, she held roles as Research Fellow at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit and Investigator Scientist at the Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh. She earned an MA(SocSci) in Sociology from the University of Glasgow and advanced degrees (MSc/PhD) in Sociology from the University of Edinburgh.

Her research focuses on sexual and reproductive health inequalities, including abortion stigma, healthcare access, and implementation science. Key projects include the Wellcome Trust-funded Sexuality and Abortion Stigma Study (SASS), the SCOT:REACH-HF cardiac rehabilitation evaluation, and the peer-led STASH sexual health intervention. Collaborations include work on My Body, My Life and the Abortion During Covid-19 study.

Publications span topics like abortion experiences, cardiac rehabilitation programs, and social network interventions. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, qualitative methods, and real-world healthcare application. Grants include Wellcome Trust and ESRC funding for projects analyzing stigma and healthcare policy.

Professional contributions include leadership in program evaluations and peer-reviewed research in journals like BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Her expertise bridges medical sociology, public health, and implementation science to address systemic health challenges.