Sarah Veale
PhD student

Sarah is a PhD candidate in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. Her research explores how intersecting inequalities influence what mother-baby dyads eat and how they are fed during the first 1,000 days of life in the UK. Using a qualitative, socioecological approach, she investigates how individual, relational, and structural factors shape food practices, with a focus on maternal health, infant nutrition, and sustainability.

Alongside her doctoral work, Sarah contributes to interdisciplinary projects including Heat, Haze and Health, which examines climate adaptation and maternal vulnerability, and a national scoping review on hospital food systems in UK mental health settings. She is an Early Career Researcher Board Member for the UKRI AgriFood4NetZero initiative.

Sarah teaches across undergraduate modules in health, ethics, sociology, and marketing, and is passionate about inclusive, research-informed teaching. She is also an award-winning communicator, having won the 2024 PhD Spotlight Competition and delivered talks for Pint of Science and the Festival of Ideas. Her first book chapter, exploring the sense of self during the birthing experience, is due to be published in 2025. Her work bridges academic research, public engagement, and policy impact to support healthier, more sustainable futures.