Primary Care & Health Sciences

I have been Professor of Primary Care Epidemiology at Keele since 1994. I worked previously as a General Practitioner in Newcastle-under-Lyme before training as an epidemiologist with David Coggon and Cyrus Cooper at the Medical Research Council's Environmental Epidemiology Unit in Southampton and with Alan Silman at the Arthritis Research Campaign's Epidemiology Research Unit in Manchester.

I have studied the causes, course, consequences, and treatment of chronic pain, low back pain, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, with an emphasis on studying data that links primary care and the general population. With colleagues at Keele and from the local NHS community, I have supported the development of multidisciplinary research teams at the Centre in Keele and strong partnerships with primary and secondary health services to carry out research into musculoskeletal conditions and chronic pain.

I am a National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. I chair the NIHR In-Practice Fellowship Committee. Icurrently chair the Working Party developing research priorities in complementary therapy for Arthritis Research UK.