Paul Johnstone

Professor Paul Johnstone serves as National Director for Place and Regions at Public Health England, leading critical pandemic response programmes since early 2020. His prior public health leadership includes roles as North of England's Regional Director, Regional Director of Public Health for Yorkshire & Humber (2002-2010), and Director of Public Health for Tees and Durham (1999-2002). Academically, he held a Chair in Public Health at the University of Teesside in the 1990s and served as honorary senior lecturer at Oxford University, and is currently a Visiting Professor at Leeds Beckett University.

His research focuses on health inequalities, evidence-based healthcare, universal healthcare, and global health. With extensive international field experience—including directing Public Health England's Ebola response in Sierra Leone and advising the WHO and UK's Department for International Development across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, and Montserrat—he emphasizes translating evidence into policy to reduce global health disparities. His career bridges NHS clinical practice (as hospital doctor, GP, and executive director) with systemic public health interventions.