We are fortunate to be working with a number of academics at the University of Exeter. Learn more about them below:
Professor Emma Bland
Emma Bland is a founding member of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health. She is also a Co-Director of Business Engagement and Innovation for the Department of Public Health and Sports Sciences.
Emma is interested in how people are impacted by their environment, and how they impact it in turn. She is also interested in related issues of equity and wellbeing. Emma has experience building research projects across public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. These projects explore how these sectors work together.
Emma's research interests include climate change adaptation. She leads the award winning Local Climate Adaptation Tool project. Another of her research interests is how the indoor environment can support improved health.
Emma is also interested in looking at how to support small and medium sized businesses to work with researchers.
Professor Catherine Leyshon
Catherine is a human geographer with an interest in landscape, place, identity and social relations.
Recently, Catherine’s research has followed two main strands. The first looks at social innovation and volunteering. Catherine's research asks how social innovation links to particular groups of people, resources, and organisations in a place. She also looks at the role of volunteers in social innovation. She is co-director of the Social Innovation Group with Michael Leyshon.
Catherine's second strand of work looks at landscape and climate change. This focuses on managing iconic and important landscapes. She is particularly interested in how they're managed through working across different knowledge communities. Catherine works with Natural England, the National Trust and organisations in the Linking the Lizard partnership.
Professor G.J. Melendez-Torres
Professor GJ Melendez-Torres leads the School for Public Health Environments Research at Exeter (SPHERE). This is the University of Exeter's membership in the NIHR School for Public Health Research. They also lead the Exeter-Cardiff-Birmingham NIHR Public Health Review Team; and co-lead the NIHR-funded group Isca Evidence. At a national level, they are the Associate Director for Involvement and Engagement for the NIHR School for Public Health Research. They are also Associate Dean for Researcher Inclusion for the NIHR Academy, and Deputy Director of the Exeter NIHR Policy Research Programme Evidence Reviews Facility.
Until July 2023, they led the Peninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG). This is one of 11 major research units in the UK providing expert advice on new drugs to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). They continue as chief investigator of the platform grant that underpins PenTAG's work. Finally, they hold the citiesRISE Research Chair in Public Mental Health. Through this they lead research to develop new ways of promoting mental health for children and young people.
Professor Gordon Taylor
Professor Gordon Taylor is a Professor of Medical Statistics at the University of Exeter. He has spent more than 20 years working on applied health research involving academia and the NHS. Over this time, he has been involved in successful collaborations, winning more than £23 million of research funding. He has more than 140 peer review publications and co-authored 3 books. The main focus for his research is the methodology for the evaluation of behaviour change interventions, and more recently methodology around the evaluation of carbon impact and its integration into trials.