Hilary Graham, CBE, FBA
Professor, Health Sciences

Profile

Biography

Hilary Graham has a background in sociology and social policy. Prior to coming to the Department of Health Sciences at York, she held positions at Lancaster University and the University of Warwick.

She has a track-record of research concerned with social inequalities in health, with a particular focus on health-related behaviours. Her current research is also exploring the implications of climate change for people's health and everyday lives.

From 2014 - 2023, Hilary Graham was part of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change, funded by the Wellcome Trust (2018-23). She coordinated the Countdown working group tracking public and political engagement in health and climate change. Follow this link for the 2023 Lancet Countdown report. Earlier Countdown reports can be found on the Lancet Countdown website.

Hilary is an Co-Investigator for the new ESRC Centre for Climate and Social Transformations (CAST) led by University of Bath.

Hilary Graham has led a range of research programmes, including the Department of Health Public Health Research Consortium (2005-11). She is a Co-Investigator in the NIHR Public Health Policy Research Unit (2019-2024, led by LSHTM).

Her books include Unequal Lives: Health and Socioeconomic Inequalities (Open University Press, 2007) and Understanding Health Inequalities (Open University Press, 2010).

Other activities

Hilary was a member of the Social Policy and Social Work Panel for the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, as well as a number of previous Research Assessment Exercises, and has served as Vice-Chair of the ESRC Research Committee. Hilary received a CBE for services to social science in the Queen's Birthday Honours List 2014 and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2016.

Qualifications

PhD Sociology, University of York
Postgraduate Certificate in Education, University of York
MA Sociology, University of York
BA Sociology, University of York

Please note that Hilary is not currently taking PhD students.

Research

Overview

Hilary's current research interests focus on the social and health implications of climate change, including implications for future generations (children's future lives and the lives of those yet to be born). She also continues her research interests in public health and social inequalities.

Projects

ESRC Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations (CAST)
NIHR PH PRU: Public perceptions of the health risks of climate change and priorities for action
HOPE - Health of Populations and Ecosystems (ESRC funded)
A systematic review of qualitative studies of older people's experiences of everyday travel (DHSC PHRC funded)
Health behaviours and health behaviour change among adults in England (DHSC PHRC funded)
- Final report
- Adults who engage in little physical activity nd eat little fruit and vegetables: A brief report
Barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation in pregnancy and following childbirth
Multiple risk behaviours among parents with dependent children. (DHSC PHRC funded)
Local authority-level research priorities on climate change
Informing public health messaging on health and climate change

Research group(s)

Public Health and Society

Supervision

Please note that Hilary is not taking PhD students.

Publications

Selected publications

Social media engagement in health and climate change an exploratory analysis of Twitter Environmental Research: Health
Priorities for research to support local authority action on health and climate change: a study in England BMC Public Health
The 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels The Lancet article
Engagement with health in national climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement: a global mixed-methods analysis of the nationally determined contributions The Lancet Planetary Health article
Intergovernmental engagement on health impacts of climate change Bulletin of the World Health Organization article
The representation of future generations in newspaper coverage of climate change: a study of the UK press Children & Society article
Positive, global, and health or environment framing bolsters public support for climate policies (2022) Nature: Communications earth and environment article
A report on adults who engage in little physical activity and eat little fruit and vegetables (funded by PHRC) Report (PDF , 1,890kb) (This report should be opened in Adobe Acrobat to see the associated tables)
'I don't really associate climate change with actual people's health': a qualitative study in England of perceptions of climate change and its impacts on health (2023) Public Health article.