Lauren is a PhD student in the Department of Psychological Medicine at King's College London, which she joined in October 2025. Her research focuses on patient behaviours relating to vaccinations, with particular emphasis on vaccine symptom attribution and recall, and how these influence vaccine uptake decisions.

Lauren holds a BSc in Cell Biology from the University of St Andrews (2020) and an MSc in Global Health & Development from University college London (2021).

During her MSc, she combined her scientific background with epidemiology and behavioural science, focusing on infectious disease transmission and the determinants of health. Her dissertation examined the social and medical determinants of sepsis outcomes. These interests continue in her PhD, where she explores behavioural and perceptual factors influencing vaccine uptake and disease spread.

Before starting her PhD, Lauren worked for one year in medical communications and spent three years at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as a researcher and research manager. In these roles, she developed her research skills and gained experience in UK public health issues, particularly those relating to clinical trial communications and pharmacy practice. At the RPS, she conducted research to support policy development and organisational decision-making, contributing to publications including:

• Royal Pharmaceutical Society Workforce Wellbeing Report (2023, 2024)
• Medicines Shortages: Solutions for Empty Shelves (2024)
• Medicine Shortages in the UK: Review of Causes and Analysis of Serious Shortage Protocols – A Mixed Methods Study
• When Has the Repeat Prescribing Process Contributed to or Caused Patient Deaths in England? A Systematic Collective Case Series of Prevention of Future Deaths Reports (2019–2023)
• Self-selection Model for Pharmacy Medicines (PMEDs): Findings from a National Call for Evidence (2025)

Research Interests

• Behavioural determinants of infectious disease transmission
• Medication-related behaviours (e.g., vaccine uptake, antibiotic use)
• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Design and evaluation of public health interventions

Research Groups

Lauren is a member of the NIHR Health Protection Research Focus Award in Outbreak Related Behaviour (ORB), a formal partnership between King’s College London, the University of East Anglia, and the UK Health Security Agency. 

Key Publications

Thomson, C., Ross, L. S., Davies, J. When has the repeat prescribing process contributed to or caused patient deaths in England? A systematic, collective case series of prevention of future deaths reports 2019-2023. Drugs & Therapy Perspectives 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-025-01159-z