Lucy Platt

Lucy Platt is a Professor of Public Health Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), affiliated with the Public Health - Environments and Society department. She joined LSHTM in 2006 after working at Imperial College, and is co-director of the Centre for Evaluation. Her research focuses on improving the health of marginalized populations, including people who use drugs or engage in sex work, through participatory approaches that emphasize reducing health inequalities. She employs mixed-methods and epidemiological techniques, including systematic reviews and analysis of existing datasets, with a geographic focus on the UK, Eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Her work spans multiple projects, including the East London Project evaluating the impact of reduced police enforcement on sex workers’ safety and health, the HepC3P consortium addressing hepatitis C prevention and treatment among people who inject drugs, and the Homeless Health Peer Advocacy evaluation assessing peer advocacy’s role in healthcare access for homeless individuals. She also leads studies on HIV epidemiology in high-risk populations across Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Lucy has secured grants from bodies like the NIHR, Wellcome Trust, and Unitaid, supporting projects such as the SWERV violence prevention initiative and evaluations of harm reduction interventions. Her teaching includes modules on alcohol/drug epidemiology and basic epidemiology for distance learners, alongside supervising PhD and DrPH students as the Departmental Research Degrees Coordinator.

Her research outputs highlight interdisciplinary collaboration, with a focus on structural determinants of health, policy impact assessment, and equity-centered methodologies. Recent articles address HIV incidence in Myanmar’s mining areas, violence among sex workers in London, and global health disparities affecting key populations.