معرفی
Karen Mak is a Senior Research Fellow in Epidemiology and Statistics at University College London's Behavioural Science and Health department. She is affiliated with the Social Biobehavioural Research Group designated at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Arts & Health and co-leads the UCL Health of the Public Creative Health Community.
Education:
- PhD in Sociology from Cambridge University
- MSc from University of Oxford
- BA (Hons) from University of Warwick
Karen's research focuses on understanding how social, cultural and community engagement is associated with improvements in mental health and wellbeing. She identifies enablers and barriers to engagement across the UK and worldwide, with particular interest in cross-country comparison studies and exploring the underlying mechanisms connecting engagement to health outcomes. Her work spans epidemiology, public health, and behavioral science, with a strong emphasis on cultural activities and their health impacts.
Karen's publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the relationship between cultural engagement and mental health across diverse populations and settings. Her research often employs longitudinal and cross-country comparative methods to examine how arts, leisure, and community activities impact wellbeing, particularly among aging populations and during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work has increasingly incorporated global perspectives, analyzing data from multiple countries to identify universal and context-specific patterns.
Scientific Awards:
- Elsevier and US-UK Fulbright Commission Researchers' Choice Communication Award
- WeAreTheCity's 2022 Rising Star Award in Education and Academia
- World Economic Forum Global Shaper
- Lee Kum Kee Family Foundation Scholarship from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
- Higher Education Academy Fellowship
- Environment and Wellbeing Grand Challenges UCL
Karen has secured research funding as Principal and Co-Investigator from prestigious organizations including ESRC, MRC, and Jameel Arts & Health Lab. She actively supervises students at various levels, co-leading the BSc Population Health Dissertation module and mentoring BSc, MSc, and PhD students in her areas of expertise. Her supervision approach emphasizes interdisciplinary perspectives and methodological rigor in studying the complex relationship between cultural engagement and health outcomes.
As co-leader of the UCL Health of the Public Creative Health Community, Karen regularly organizes interdisciplinary workshops on arts and health for UCL staff and students, fostering collaboration across different fields to advance understanding of creative approaches to health improvement. Her work contributes significantly to Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and 4 (Quality Education), demonstrating how engagement in cultural and community activities can promote health equity and wellbeing across diverse populations.