معرفی
Professor Sharon Anne Simpson is Professor of Behavioural Sciences and Health in the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow's Institute of Health & Wellbeing. She co-leads the Unit's Complexity programme and serves as Head of the Population Health Research Facility, which is part of the Glasgow Clinical Trials Unit. Professor Simpson is also President Elect for the UK Society of Behavioural Medicine (2022-present). Her career spans multiple prestigious institutions including Cardiff University, where she served for over a decade at the South East Wales Trials Unit, and earlier positions at the Universities of Nottingham, Greenwich, Oxford, and Sheffield.
Professor Simpson's research focuses on developing and testing complex interventions for lifestyle behaviors (diet, physical activity, smoking), healthy aging, obesity, and mental health. She has significant expertise in social networks, systems thinking, and mobile health technologies. Her methodological strengths include randomized controlled trials, development and evaluation of complex interventions, mixed methods approaches, and process evaluation. She is particularly interested in how structural determinants of health shape healthcare engagement and health inequalities.
Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on multimorbidity, mental health, social networks, and complex intervention development. The research shows increasing integration of systems thinking approaches and attention to health inequalities across diverse populations from adolescents to older adults. Her work frequently employs mixed methods to capture both quantitative outcomes and qualitative insights into implementation challenges.
- Current member of the Chief Scientist Office, Health Improvement Protection and Services Committee
- Former committee member for the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme
- Member of the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Member of the Editorial Board for BMC Public Health
- President Elect for the UK Society of Behavioural Medicine (2022-present)
Professor Simpson has secured substantial funding from major research councils including the Medical Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, and National Institute for Health Research. Her current major grants include 'Complexity in Health' (2020-2025) and 'Lifelong Physical AcTivity TArgeting INequalities (ATTAIN)' (2022-2024). She has led or contributed to over 190 publications, demonstrating consistent productivity and impact in public health research.
As Head of the Population Health Research Facility, Professor Simpson oversees the design and implementation of community-based research studies. Her leadership ensures methodological rigor while maintaining relevance to public health practice. She frequently collaborates with researchers across multiple institutions and countries, reflecting her commitment to addressing public health challenges through interdisciplinary and international partnerships.
