Elizabeth Walters

Overview

Elizabeth holds a first-class honours BSc degree in Sociology with Social Anthropology from the University of Southampton and during her time there she was also awarded the Dean’s List Award for Academic Excellence. She also holds a distinction in MSc Global Public Health and Policy from Queen Mary University of London. She is passionate about social change and addressing health inequalities. Her specific areas of interest include homelessness and working towards equality in access to education. These interests are reflected in some of her voluntary work, which include assisting at a winter night shelter and tutoring GSCE Maths and English.

Elizabeth worked for a year as a learning facilitator and an A Level Sociology teacher before beginning her PhD. She also spent two years as a voluntary researcher for the charity Health Action Campaign.

Qualifications

• MSc Global Public Health and Policy, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom, Sep 2018 – Aug 2019
• BSc Sociology with Social Anthropology, University of Southampton, United Kingdom, Sep 2015 – Jun 2018
• Dean's List Award for Academic Excellence, University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Languages

English (can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review) and German (can read, speak and understand spoken).

Title of thesis: Optimising and embedding a community development approach in local systems to improve health and reduce inequalities

Oct 2020 – Sep 2023

Summary of research

Community development approaches have been used for decades to improve health and reduce inequalities, yet there is little research beyond the pilot or first phases of intervention, with a distinct lack of evidence as to how community development approaches can become embedded and sustained long term. Elizabeth’s research aims to address how to optimise and embed a community development framework into local systems, based on the Well Communities community development approach. The Well Communities framework provides a method and process for communities and local organisations to work together to improve health and wellbeing, build resilience and reduce inequalities. The framework comprises a suite of capacity building and co-produced projects that realise and develop community assets and build individual and community trust, skills, knowledge, confidence, empowerment and connectedness.

Her studentship is funded by NIHR ARC North Thames.

1^st supervisor

• Professor Angela Harden, Professor of Health Sciences

2^nd supervisor

• Dr Katherine Curtis-Tyler, Senior Lecturer

External supervisor

• Findlay, G. University of East London.

Publications by category