Public Health
We're engaging Public Health staff in every Local Authority in the region to represent us within their organisations to help even more people to access research.
Our Public Health Representatives
In alignment with our 2022-23 Strategic Objectives for Public Health, we are pleased to introduce our new Public Health representatives working in Local Authorities around the region.
Our Public Health staff are well placed to help connect us with appropriate stakeholders with their organisations and guide us along new routes to bring more research to more people.
The East of England Population Health Research Hub
The East of England Population Health Research Hub (EoE PHResH) is a collaborative network of population health practitioners, academics and regional research infrastructures in the East of England region.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Dr Emily Smith
Consultant in Public Health, Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council
Contact Emily: emilyr.smith@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
About Emily: Emily worked with us as Public Health representative during the pandemic and we are delighted that she has returned to join us on a more permanent basis. (More information to come).
Emily's plan: I act as a link between CRN East of England region and Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council. I am looking forward to exploring possibilities for collaboration and partnership working over the next 12 months.
Hertfordshire
Jo Mackenzie
Strategic Research and Evaluation Lead, Hertfordshire County Council
Contact Jo: Jo.Mackenzie@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Contact Jo's team: ph.evaluation@hertfordshire.gov.uk
About Jo: "I am the Strategic Research and Evaluation Lead and I head up the Research and Evaluation team that sits within Public Health. The Research and Evaluation team consists of twelve Research and Evaluation Officers with a range of experience and abilities. As well as carrying out research and evaluation projects within Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), I am responsible for managing the capacity of the team's workload, and setting the standards for research and evaluation. In addition, I am responsible for promoting the benefits of research and evaluation in local authorities and encouraging the uptake of research and evaluation within the council."
Jo's plan: To lead the Research Readiness project in Hertfordshire which will last for nine months. The aim of this project is to determine the research readiness of HCC and the local authorities in Northeast Hertfordshire.
Jo's hopes: "I hope to understand more about how open local authorities are to research and evaluation in Hertfordshire. This will be in terms of attitudes to being involved in research and using research to inform service related decision making. I hope to understand more about the availability of data internally and the quality of the data along with an understanding of how keen teams are to improve their data collection so that it is suitable for using for research studies. In addition, I would like to find out more about access to service users for research and any concerns that teams may have about involving service users in research."
Norfolk
Dr Sara Karrar
Advanced Public Health Officer, Norfolk County Council
Contact Sara: sara.karrar2@norfolk.gov.uk
About Sara: "My current role provides dedicated time to understand and use local data from a variety of sources. With an opportunity to combine with local insight gathered from across different community organisations and groups. Investigating ways of combining both quantitative and qualitative data will enhance my delivery of public health interventions across the community - forming tailored interventions which are more likely to be successful and sustainable."
Sara's plan: "The role offers experience in both using and generating public health research, in particular community research that can impact the local population."
Sara's hopes: "My main drive is to generate and disseminate public health research across Norfolk. First by bringing together partners e.g. through a forum, to promote local public health research priorities. Secondly, to encourage citizen science and the incorporation of collected intelligence into public health projects. This in turn will develop innovation and collaborative approaches to working practice."
Suffolk
Anna Crispe
Consultant in Public Health and Assistant Director, Knowledge, Evidence & Intelligence, Suffolk County Council
Contact Anna: anna.crispe@suffolk.gov.uk
About Anna: "I lead the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Suffolk, and manage all the analysts who work in the Public Health & Communities’ team, Children’s Services, and Adult Social Care, providing data and insight to practitioners, commissioners and strategic leaders. I am a senior officer in the Suffolk Office for Data & Analytics (SODA), and also work one day a week for the Ipswich & East Suffolk and West Suffolk CCGs, currently focused on developing population health management skills, techniques and infrastructure in Suffolk."
Anna's plan: "To be the Research Lead for Suffolk Public Health and Communities, and to bring the benefits of research participation more broadly to Suffolk County Council"
Anna's hopes: "My hopes are three fold – that we can build on the excellent work already done in Suffolk to recruit participants to research studies, increasing awareness and bringing health research opportunities into new settings, such as education; that we can support SCC staff with an interest in research to build their skills and potentially pursue research-related careers; and that we can influence the research agenda to meet the specific needs of the population of Suffolk, for example, reducing inequalities; understanding the challenges and effective interventions in the context of coastal or rural communities; and how to support an ageing population to remain healthy and independent."