Dr Charlotte Woodhead

Charlotte completed a BSc in Biology & Psychology at Royal Holloway University, then an MRC-funded MSc in Demography & Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her MRC/ESRC funded PhD, based in the department of Psychological Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), was a mixed methods investigation into the mental health of female UK Armed Forces personnel.

She has since worked in post-doctoral research posts at the Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre for two years and then at the NIHR North Thames Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) University College London (UCL). This included two embedded research posts within Haringey and Redbridge public health teams. She joined the ESRC Centre as a Lecturer in March 2020.

Research

• Mental health inequalities
• Urban mental health
• Young adult mental health
• Evaluation of complex social interventions
• Voluntary and community sector
• Systems thinking
• Mixed methods research

As a mixed methods researcher, Charlotte's interests are in understanding social/structural determinants of mental ill health at all levels of severity; how and when people’s mental health is influenced by the social world; as well as how and where intervening might have the most positive influence. More specifically, she draws on social science theory and evidence to understand and evaluate complex social interventions with the aim of reducing inequalities in mental health and healthcare, particularly those led by communities affected and by the voluntary and community sector.

Charlotte is also interested in the role of voluntary sector services and community programs in providing, and increasing equity of access to, mental health support for young adults, LGBTQ+, low income and racial and ethnic minority groups.

Teaching

PhD supervision

Charlotte welcomes any students who wish to be supervised in any areas aligned with her research interests, particularly those wanting to further the evidence base around reducing inequalities in mental health and access to support.

Further details

See Charlotte's research profile