I originally trained as an optometrist and worked in community practice for 15yrs in areas all over the northwest of England. During this time, I observed first-hand the difference in health between various communities which led to my interest in public health. As an optometrist, I saw facial dysmorphia related to prenatal alcohol exposure in many of my patients and this made me curious about the actual prevalence of FASD. Given what I was regularly seeing as a practitioner, I was surprised to discover that no UK data were available and became interested in the research being undertaken by Alan Price and Prof Penny Cook. I decided to study for the MSc in Public Health at the University of Salford with a view to developing my research skills for a career in research.
I was lucky enough to be the Research Assistant on the Prevalence study, working with the children involved has been fun and rewarding. I am interested in the mixed methods approach to research and passionate about involving stakeholders in public health research.
I am hoping to pursue a PhD in the future, other areas of interested are Adverse childhood experiences, nutrition and social media.