Jacqueline

Public health has never been more in the spotlight, and PhD student Jacqueline is working on research that can make a real difference to people’s lives and the ways services are delivered.

Jacqueline began her PhD in Psychology looking at the behaviour of people from different ethnic groups when they are encouraged to be more active by health professionals because they have a condition like high blood pressure or cholesterol. She wanted to know why some groups engage more, when others do less, and to explore the barriers to getting them moving.

But since 2020 Jacqueline has widened her research. “Currently, I’m looking at how those differences pan out within the pandemic,” she explains. “The data tells us that people of different ethnicities are usually less physically active so was that playing a part in people’s decisions, or spurring them on or holding them back?”

As well as studying for her doctorate, South Londoner Jacqueline works full-time in public health for a local authority, and so she understands the importance of research that can be put to work on the ground. “We’re always looking for strategies to use, to back up, to bolster, to encourage. So anything that you can show someone and use as a finding is a good thing… it’s useful to know that what you’re doing has got a purpose.”