Research Grants
BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grant (awarded 2023): Measuring the Long-term Health effects of Tonsillectomy in the UK
For much of the twentieth century, the removal of tonsils and adenoids was considered a routine procedure for treating tonsillitis and middle ear infections in childhood. However, recent research has suggested that these tissues play a crucial role in the development and functioning of the immune system. Despite this, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy remain one of the most common paediatric surgeries performed worldwide. Therefore, there is a need for research to investigate the long-term impact of these procedures on adult health outcomes. Existing literature only establishes a correlative relationship due to issues of selection into treatment, as those treated were more likely to have underlying issues of ill health. By digitising historical doctor registration records and linking them to the National Child Development Study, we propose testing the hypothesis that tonsil removal in childhood causally affects long-term adult health outcomes, using an instrumental variables identification design. Understanding this causal link is important in supporting evidence-based practice in medical care and in documenting the longer-term drivers of population health.
Heriot-Watt Seed Funding (awarded 2023)
With P. LeMay-Boucher (Heriot-Watt, PI) and M. Dayé (University of Namur, Belgium)
With Claudia Aravena (Heriot-Watt, PI) and Victoria Plutshack (Heriot-Watt, Senior Researcher)
Awards
Poster Presentation Award, Institute of Occupational Medicine
Poster presentation at the Health and Care Innovation Conference for Early Career Researchers
Early Career Researcher of the Year 2024
Heriot-Watt School of Social Sciences
Fellowships, Visiting positions, Membership of professional bodies
Panumure House Fellowship, 2025
Visiting Researcher, University of Leeds 2019
Project with Alan Turing Institute
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, 2021