Healthy Social Systems Lab 

The Healthy Social Systems Lab is an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to understanding and addressing the complex forces that shape health across lifetimes. 

Many different things affect how healthy we are throughout our lives, and how long we can expect to live. These things include our genes, our behaviour and, most importantly, the social, political and environmental conditions in which we are born, grow up, live, work and age. These conditions are not the same for everyone and there are big differences in health between people who are well off and those who are not, and on average the richest live many more years in good health than the poorest.  

The Healthy Social Systems Lab supports decision-makers across sectors to understand how to improve health and reduce health inequalities using systems science methods.  ​Systems science is a collection of methods and approaches for understanding complex relationships between things and how they develop over time. It is often used in the natural sciences such as for understanding eco systems or the weather, but we believe it can also help us understand how social, environmental and political conditions (for example economic recession, climate change) influence health and wellbeing. Systems science methods can help us to understand mutual dependencies, emergence, non-linearity, adaptive and feedback processes – and identify, a-priori, the potential indirect, unanticipated and ​long-range effects of policy decisions and interventions​.  

Through novel systems science methods, ambitious collaborative projects, and policy partnerships our interdisciplinary team aims to build a fairer, healthier future for all.

Icons of people linked with white lines

Staff

Headshot of Petra Meier

Petra Meier 
Professor of Public Health
Alison Heppenstall

Alison Heppenstall 
Professor of Geocomputation
Corinna Elsenbroich

Corinna Elsenbroich 
Reader of Computational Modelling in Social and Public Health Science
Jo Winterbottom Jo Winterbottom 
Senior Research Fellow
Jonathan Stokes Jonathan Stokes 
Senior Research Fellow
Headshot of Vittal Katikireddi Vittal Katikireddi 
Professor of Public Health and Health Inequalities
Eric Silverman Eric Silverman 
Research Fellow
Andrew Maclaren Andrew Maclaren 
Research Fellow
Andreas Hohn Andreas Höhn 
Research Fellow
Kashif Zia Kashif Zia 
Research Associate
Headshot of Sarah Lester Sarah Lester 
Research Associate
Phoebe Sommervail  Phoebe Sommervail 
Research Assistant
David Bowmark David Bowmark 
Research Associate 
Reese Green  Reese Green 
Research Associate
 

Rebeka Balogh
Research Associate 
Alice MacLachlan Alice MacLachlan 
Portfolio Manager
Norah Yin Nwe Soe Norah Yin Nwe Soe 
Project Manager
Alison Caldecott Alison Caldecott 
Communications Manager
Karen Penman Karen Penman 
Administrative Assistant
  Helen Thompson 
Administrative Assistant

Students

Amy Stevenson Amy Stevenson
PhD title: Designing for Equity: Identifying Built Environment Features of a Feminist City and Their Influence on Walking Behaviour
Supervisors: Petra Meier, Jon Olsen, Nick Bailey, Jaime Toney
Headshot of Shreya Sonthalia Shreya Sonthalia
PhD title: Exploring the Dynamic Relationship between Population Mental Health and the Labour Market through a gendered lens: a system dynamics study in Scotland
Supervisors: Petra Meier, Corinna Elsenbroich, Emma Comrie, Mohammad Jalali
Headshot of Victoria Ponce Hardy Victoria Ponce Hardy
PhD title: Simulating the impact of decarbonising home energy on health inequalities
Supervisors: Petra Meier, Alison Heppenstall, Gerry McCartney
Ilana Booth Ilana Booth
PhD title: Using qualitative systems methods to explore the health experiences of women in Scotland who experienced low-income and ACEs in childhood
Supervisors: Petra Meier, Andreas Höhn, Clementine O'Connor
Patricia Maria Ayala Genes Patricia Maria Ayala Genes
PhD title: Assessing the Impact of the Healthy Municipalities Strategy in Paraguay from a Health Equity Perspective
Supervisors: Jonathan Stokes, Erik Igelström, Vittal Katikireddi
Headshot of Richard Sutton Robert Sutton
PhD title: Addressing the Physical Activity Gender Gap in Scottish Primary Schools: A Participatory Systems Mapping Study
Supervisors: Jonathan Stokes, Anne Martin, Benjamin Rigby, Shona Hilton
Headshot of Roxana Pollack Roxana Pollack
PhD title: Exploring the Mental Health Implications of Employment Transitions using modelling
Supervisors: Vittal Katikireddi, Alison Heppenstall, Anna Pearce
Jeeva Macmillan-John Jeeva Macmillan-John
PhD title: Complex Connections: Simulating Interventions for Multimorbidity Prevention and Levelling-up Equity (SIMPLE)
Supervisors: Jonathan Stokes, Bhautesh Jani, Alison Heppenstall
Headshot of Yue Yin Yue Yin
PhD title: Identifying the “Optimal Intervention Timing” for Weight Management Along a Continuous Risk Spectrum: A Threshold–Window Study Based on a Prospective Cohort
Supervisors: Jonathan Stokes, Andreas Höhn

Research Projects

Image for use with body text
Policy Modelling for Health

Providing better evidence for policy decisions that address the economic determinants of health and health inequalities
Image for use with body text
GALLANT: Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation

Taking a whole-systems approach to key environmental challenges, identifying co-benefits and trade-offs for public health, wellbeing and economy
Image for use with body text
OPTIMA: Orienting Policy Towards Inequality Minimising Actions

A systems science approach to 20-minute neighbourhood policy design and evaluation
Image for use with body text
STRIKE: Social Ties, Relationships, Interactions, Knowledge Exchange

Identifying and scoping the data infrastructure needed to build a national picture of social interactions in the UK
Image for use with body text
EQUALISE: ESRC Centre for Lifecourse health Equity

Building health data science infrastructure to address health-inequalities from a life course perspective
Image for use with body text
AI4CI: Artificial Intelligence for Collective Intelligence Hub

Exploring how AI can be used to support smart city design
Image for use with body text
SOCITS Project: A SOCial sITuational Systems approach to measuring and modelling influences on adolescent mental health

New data/methods for researchers, teachers, and young people to understand adolescent mental health, focusing on interactions and social situations
Image for use with body text
EXAMPLER: Exo-scale agent-based modelling for policy evaluation in real-time

Developing software, data and institutional support for the use of large-scale (exascale) computing for modelling policy scenarios
Image for use with body text
SIPHER: Systems science In Public Health and Health Economics Research

Development of systems-based economic evaluation methods and tools to help policy-makers understand the costs and benefits of policy measures implemented in different sectors
For use with body text
CoWBells: Community Wealth Building in Scotland Evaluation

Evaluating the health outcomes of community wealth building in Scotland
For use with body text
MicMac: Evaluating the impact of major income support policies on health inequalities across the life course: A micro-macro linked modelling study

Computational modelling of the impacts of government income support policies on health
For use with body text
Applying Agent-Based Modelling to the Development and Evaluation of Improved Policies for Health and Wellbeing in Scotland

Computational modelling of four key wellbeing policy areas in Scotland
Systems Science in Public Health podcast logo

Systems Science in Public Health podcast

Listen to the Systems Science in Public Health podcast

Publications

Walsh, David ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3390-5039, Hoehn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, Dundas, Ruth ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3836-4286, McCartney, Gerry ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6341-3521 and Whyte, Bruce (2025) Using lifespan variation to better understand long-term trends in health inequalities in Scotland and Europe. European Journal of Public Health, (Accepted for Publication)

Feng, Zixin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7539-9917, Zhao, Qunshan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5549-9457 and Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 (2025) Exploring the Complex Behaviours of Electric Vehicle Drivers Based on an Agent-based Reinforcement Learning Method. In: 19th Annual Social Simulation Conference (SSC 2024), Cracow, Poland, 16-20 Sep 2024, pp. 113-127. ISBN 9783031917820 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-91782-0_8)

Stevenson, Amy, Ponce Hardy, Vicki, Bailey, Nick ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1618-5949, Toney, Jaime ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3182-6887, Olsen, Jonathan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5356-8615 and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2025) From the compact city to the X-minute neighbourhood: a systematic review of the health and wellbeing impacts of sustainable urban development models (SUDMs) on women. Journal of Urban Health, 102(4), pp. 883-904. (doi: 10.1007/s11524-025-00990-z) (PMID:40932670) (PMCID:PMC12484460)

Montano, Luigina Jessica, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Font, Xavier and Alector Ribeiro, Manuel (2025) Impact evaluation with process tracing: explaining causal processes in an EU-INTERREG sustainable tourism intervention. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 33(8), pp. 1752-1774. (doi: 10.1080/09669582.2024.2358115)

Rice, Hugh P., Hoehn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Lomax, Nik (2025) An inclusive economy dataset for wards in Great Britain using administrative and synthetic data sources. Scientific Data, 12(1), 1230. (doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-05502-x) (PMID:40664712) (PMCID:PMC12264001)

Hjelmskog, Annika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4982-9621, Boyd, Jennifer, Stevenson, Amy, Pollack, Roxana, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437, Toney, Jaime ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3182-6887, Winterbottom, Jo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4374-4397 and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2025) The effect of climate mitigation and adaptation policies on health and health inequalities: a systematic review. Lancet Planetary Health, 9(7), 101277. (doi: 10.1016/j.lanplh.2025.06.001) (PMID:40645199)

Kakampakou, Lydia, Stokes, Jonathan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3266-1474, Hoehn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, de Kamps, Marc, Lawniczak, Wiktoria, Arnold, Kellyn F., Hensor, Elizabeth M.A., Heppenstall, Alison J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Gilthorpe, Mark S. (2025) Simulating hierarchical data to assess the utility of ecological versus multilevel analyses in obtaining individual-level causal effects. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 25, 79. (doi: 10.1186/s12874-025-02504-6) (PMID:40121398) (PMCID:PMC11929225)

Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Holmes, John, Stevely, Abigail, Boyd, Jennifer E., Hernández Alava, Monica, Hardie, Iain, Warde, Alan and Sasso, Alessandro (2025) Drinking practices: the variation of drinking events across intersections of sex, age and household income. Drug and Alcohol Review, 44(1), pp. 144-156. (doi: 10.1111/dar.13975) (PMID:39537147) (PMCID:PMC11743237)

Pollack, R. et al. (2024) How could 20-minute neighbourhoods impact health and health inequalities? A policy scoping review. BMC Public Health, 24, 3426. (doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20928-5) (PMID:39696117) (PMCID:PMC11653922)

Tweed, Emily J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6659-812X, Cimova, Kristina ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7747-9230, Craig, Peter ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7653-5832, Allik, Mirjam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1674-3469, Brown, Denise ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5312, Campbell, Mhairi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-7270, Henderson, David, Mayor, Charlie, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 and Watson, Nick ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0364-427X (2024) Unlocking data: decision-maker perspectives on cross-sectoral data sharing and linkage as part of a whole-systems approach to public health policy and practice. Public Health Research, (doi: 10.3310/KYTW2173) (PMID:39582242) (Early Online Publication)

Olmez, Sedar, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437, Ge, Jiaqi, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326 and Birks, Dan (2024) Mitigating housing market shocks: an agent-based reinforcement learning approach with implications for real-time decision support. Journal of Simulation, 18(6), pp. 921-939. (doi: 10.1080/17477778.2024.2375446) (PMID:39691552) (PMCID:PMC11649216)

Boyd, Jennifer, Holmes, John, Gibbs, Naomi, Buckley, Charlotte, Purshouse, Robin and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2024) How can agent-based modelling provide new insights into the impact of minimum unit pricing in Scotland? Drug and Alcohol Review, 43(7), pp. 1657-1661. (doi: 10.1111/dar.13880) (PMID:37638133) (PMCID:PMC10457563)

Gamal, Yahya ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2370-6172, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Gilbert, Nigel, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Zia, Kashif (2024) A behavioural agent-based model for housing markets: impact of financial shocks in the UK. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 27(4), 5. (doi: 10.18564/jasss.5518)

Brook, Anna, Rendall, Georgia, Hearty, Wendy, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Thomson, Hilary ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6810-9948, Macnamara, Alexandra, Crossley, Rachel, Campbell, Mhairi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-7270 and McCartney, Gerard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6341-3521 (2024) What is the relationship between changes in the size of economies and mortality derived population health measures in high income countries: a causal systematic review. Social Science and Medicine, 357, 117190. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117190) (PMID:39178721)

Olmez, Sedar, Birks, Dan, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Ge, Jiaqi (2024) Learning the rational choice perspective: a reinforcement learning approach to simulating offender behaviours in criminological agent-based models. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 112, 102141. (doi: 10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2024.102141)

Kopasker, D. et al. (2024) Evaluating the influence of taxation and social security policies on psychological distress: a microsimulation study of the UK during the COVID-19 economic crisis. Social Science and Medicine, 351, 116953. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116953) (PMID:38759385) (PMCID:PMC7617584)

Holmes, John, Sasso, Alessandro, Hernández Alava, Mónica, Borges Neves, Rita, Stevely, Abigail K., Warde, Alan and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2024) How is alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking spread across different types of drinking occasion in Great Britain: An event-level latent class analysis. International Journal of Drug Policy, 127, 104414. (doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104414)

Höhn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, Andersson, Gunnar, Kulu, Hill and Campbell, Brad (2024) Childbearing across immigrants and their descendants in Sweden: The role of generation and gender. International Migration Review, (doi: 10.1177/01979183241245072) (Early Online Publication)

Hoehn, A. et al. (2024) Estimating quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) for local authorities in Great Britain and its association with indicators of the inclusive economy: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 14(3), e076704. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076704) (PMID:38431294) (PMCID:PMC10910677)

Blake, C. et al. (2024) Participatory systems mapping for population health research, policy and practice: guidance on method choice and design. Documentation. University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.316563).

Hjelmskog, Annika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4982-9621 (2023) Using the Doughnut Economics Framework to Structure Whole-Systems Thinking in Socioecological Wellbeing with Multidisciplinary Stakeholders: An Applied Case Study in Glasgow, Scotland. UK Public Health Science: A National Conference Dedicated to New Research in UK Public Health, London, UK, 24 November 2023. (doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02057-3)

Griffiths, C. et al. (2023) A complex systems approach to obesity: a transdisciplinary framework for action. Perspectives in Public Health, 143(6), pp. 305-309. (doi: 10.1177/17579139231180761) (PMID:37395317) (PMCID:PMC10683338)

Boyd, Jennifer, Hayes, Kate, Green, Dan, Angus, Colin and Holmes, John (2023) The contribution of health behaviour to socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol harm: analysis of the UK Biobank, a large cohort study with linked health outcomes. SSM - Population Health, 23, 101443. (doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101443) (PMID:37334333) (PMCID:PMC10275713)

Höhn, A. et al. (2023) Systems science methods in public health: what can they contribute to our understanding of and response to the cost-of-living crisis? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 77(9), pp. 610-616. (doi: 10.1136/jech-2023-220435) (PMID:37328262) (PMCID:PMC10423532)

Warde, Alan, Sasso, Alessandro, Holmes, John, Hernández Alava, Monica, Stevely, Abigail K. and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2023) Situated drinking: the association between eating and alcohol consumption in Great Britain. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 40(3), pp. 301-318. (doi: 10.1177/14550725231157222) (PMID:37255611) (PMCID:PMC10225964)

Hjelmskog, A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4982-9621 and Deas, I. (2023) The equity implications of an expanded health and wellbeing role for housing associations. Public Health in Practice, 5, 100355. (doi: 10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100355) (PMID:37346378) (PMCID:PMC10280050)

Broadbent, Philip, Thomson, Rachel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3060-939X, Kopasker, Daniel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2636-8431, McCartney, Gerry ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6341-3521, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Richiardi, Matteo, McKee, Martin and Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6593-9092 (2023) The public health implications of the cost-of-living crisis: outlining mechanisms and modelling consequences. Lancet Regional Health - Europe, 27, 100585. (doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100585) (PMID:37035237) (PMCID:PMC10068020)

Franklin, R. S. et al. (2023) Making space in geographical analysis. Geographical Analysis, 55(2), pp. 325-341. (doi: 10.1111/gean.12325)

Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6593-9092 and Smith, Katherine (2023) Bold action is needed to strengthen primary prevention. British Medical Journal, 380, p595. (doi: 10.1136/bmj.p595) (PMID:36921929)

Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326 and Polhill, J. Gareth (2023) Agent-based modelling as a method for prediction for complex social systems. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 26(2), pp. 133-142. (doi: 10.1080/13645579.2023.2152007)

Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326 and Badham, Jennifer (2023) Negotiating a future that is not like the past. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 26(2), pp. 207-213. (doi: 10.1080/13645579.2022.2137935)

Hardie, Iain ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4694-3755, Sasso, Alessandro, Holmes, John and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2023) Understanding changes in the locations of drinking occasions in Great Britain: an age-period-cohort analysis of repeat cross-sectional market research data, 2001-2019. Drug and Alcohol Review, 42(1), pp. 105-118. (doi: 10.1111/dar.13562) (PMID:36222548) (PMCID:PMC10092301)

Boyd, Jennifer, Wilson, Rebekah, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2022) Agent-based modelling of health inequalities following the complexity turn in public health: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), 16807. (doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416807) (PMID:36554687) (PMCID:PMC9779847)

Occhipinti, J.-A. et al. (2022) Measuring, modeling, and forecasting the Mental Wealth of Nations. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 879183. (doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.879183) (PMID:35968431) (PMCID:PMC9368578)

Hardie, Iain ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4694-3755, Stevely, Abigail K., Sasso, Alessandro, Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 and Holmes, John (2022) The impact of changes in COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on alcohol consumption and drinking occasion characteristics in Scotland and England in 2020: an interrupted time-series analysis. Addiction, 117(6), pp. 1622-1639. (doi: 10.1111/add.15794) (PMID:35108758)

Brand-Correa, Lina, Brook, Anna, Büchs, Milena, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Naik, Yannish and O’Neill, Daniel W. (2022) Economics for people and planet – moving beyond the neoclassical paradigm. Lancet Planetary Health, 6(4), E371-E379. (doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00063-8) (PMID:35397225) (PMCID:PMC9226380)

Wu, Guoqiang, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Purshouse, Robin and Lomax, Nik (2022) A synthetic population dataset for estimating small area health and socio-economic outcomes in Great Britain. Scientific Data, 9, 19. (doi: 10.1038/s41597-022-01124-9) (PMID:35058471) (PMCID:PMC8776798)

Gibbs, Naomi K., Angus, Colin, Dixon, Simon, Parry, Charles D.H., Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Boachie, Micheal K. and Verguet, Stéphane (2022) Equity impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on household health and finances among rich and poor drinkers in South Africa. BMJ Global Health, 7(1), e007824. (doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007824) (PMID:34992078) (PMCID:PMC8739056)

Naik, Y., Brook, A., Perraton, J. and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2021) Fiscal and monetary policies: the cutting edge of advocacy and research on population health and climate change. Perspectives in Public Health, 141(6), pp. 325-327. (doi: 10.1177/17579139211059983)

Holmes, John, Angus, Colin, Sasso, Alessandro, Stevely, Abigail K. and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2021) What proportion of on-trade alcohol is served to those who are already potentially intoxicated? An analysis of event-level data. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 82(5), pp. 602-609. (doi: 10.15288/jsad.2021.82.602) (PMID:34546906) (PMCID:PMC7611694)

Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Holmes, John, Brennan, Alan and Angus, Colin (2021) Alcohol policy and gender: a modelling study estimating gender-specific effects of alcohol pricing. Addiction, 116(9), pp. 2372-2384. (doi: 10.1111/add.15464) (PMID:33651444)

McGill, E. et al. (2021) Evaluation of public health interventions from a complex systems perspective: a research methods review. Social Science and Medicine, 272, 113697. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113697) (PMID:33508655)

This list was generated on Tue Jan 13 15:06:34 2026 GMT.

Publications (continued)

Lomax, Nik, Rice, Hugh, Hoehn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, Hughes, Ceri, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326 and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2026) An inclusive economy classification of British Local Authority Districts and assessment of its association with life expectancy and lifespan variation. Population, Space and Place, 32(1), e70151. (doi: 10.1002/psp.70151)

Legge, Melissa F., Inyang, Elizabeth ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2678-4230 and Stokes, Jonathan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3266-1474 (2025) 20-minute neighbourhoods, criticisms, conspiracy theories, and health: a critical discourse analysis. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 4093. (doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-25416-y) (PMID:41272528) (PMCID:PMC12639678)

Walsh, David ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3390-5039, Hoehn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, Dundas, Ruth ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3836-4286, McCartney, Gerry ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6341-3521 and Whyte, Bruce (2025) Using lifespan variation to better understand long-term trends in health inequalities in Scotland and Europe. European Journal of Public Health, (Accepted for Publication)

Stevenson, Amy, Ponce Hardy, Vicki, Bailey, Nick ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1618-5949, Toney, Jaime ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3182-6887, Olsen, Jonathan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5356-8615 and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2025) From the compact city to the X-minute neighbourhood: a systematic review of the health and wellbeing impacts of sustainable urban development models (SUDMs) on women. Journal of Urban Health, 102(4), pp. 883-904. (doi: 10.1007/s11524-025-00990-z) (PMID:40932670) (PMCID:PMC12484460)

Montano, Luigina Jessica, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Font, Xavier and Alector Ribeiro, Manuel (2025) Impact evaluation with process tracing: explaining causal processes in an EU-INTERREG sustainable tourism intervention. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 33(8), pp. 1752-1774. (doi: 10.1080/09669582.2024.2358115)

Rice, Hugh P., Hoehn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Lomax, Nik (2025) An inclusive economy dataset for wards in Great Britain using administrative and synthetic data sources. Scientific Data, 12(1), 1230. (doi: 10.1038/s41597-025-05502-x) (PMID:40664712) (PMCID:PMC12264001)

Hjelmskog, Annika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4982-9621, Boyd, Jennifer, Stevenson, Amy, Pollack, Roxana, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437, Toney, Jaime ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3182-6887, Winterbottom, Jo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4374-4397 and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2025) The effect of climate mitigation and adaptation policies on health and health inequalities: a systematic review. Lancet Planetary Health, 9(7), 101277. (doi: 10.1016/j.lanplh.2025.06.001) (PMID:40645199)

Kakampakou, Lydia, Stokes, Jonathan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3266-1474, Hoehn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, de Kamps, Marc, Lawniczak, Wiktoria, Arnold, Kellyn F., Hensor, Elizabeth M.A., Heppenstall, Alison J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Gilthorpe, Mark S. (2025) Simulating hierarchical data to assess the utility of ecological versus multilevel analyses in obtaining individual-level causal effects. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 25, 79. (doi: 10.1186/s12874-025-02504-6) (PMID:40121398) (PMCID:PMC11929225)

Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Holmes, John, Stevely, Abigail, Boyd, Jennifer E., Hernández Alava, Monica, Hardie, Iain, Warde, Alan and Sasso, Alessandro (2025) Drinking practices: the variation of drinking events across intersections of sex, age and household income. Drug and Alcohol Review, 44(1), pp. 144-156. (doi: 10.1111/dar.13975) (PMID:39537147) (PMCID:PMC11743237)

Pollack, R. et al. (2024) How could 20-minute neighbourhoods impact health and health inequalities? A policy scoping review. BMC Public Health, 24, 3426. (doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20928-5) (PMID:39696117) (PMCID:PMC11653922)

Tweed, Emily J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6659-812X, Cimova, Kristina ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7747-9230, Craig, Peter ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7653-5832, Allik, Mirjam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1674-3469, Brown, Denise ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5312, Campbell, Mhairi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-7270, Henderson, David, Mayor, Charlie, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 and Watson, Nick ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0364-427X (2024) Unlocking data: decision-maker perspectives on cross-sectoral data sharing and linkage as part of a whole-systems approach to public health policy and practice. Public Health Research, (doi: 10.3310/KYTW2173) (PMID:39582242) (Early Online Publication)

Boyd, Jennifer, Holmes, John, Gibbs, Naomi, Buckley, Charlotte, Purshouse, Robin and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2024) How can agent-based modelling provide new insights into the impact of minimum unit pricing in Scotland? Drug and Alcohol Review, 43(7), pp. 1657-1661. (doi: 10.1111/dar.13880) (PMID:37638133) (PMCID:PMC10457563)

Olmez, Sedar, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437, Ge, Jiaqi, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326 and Birks, Dan (2024) Mitigating housing market shocks: an agent-based reinforcement learning approach with implications for real-time decision support. Journal of Simulation, 18(6), pp. 921-939. (doi: 10.1080/17477778.2024.2375446) (PMID:39691552) (PMCID:PMC11649216)

Gamal, Yahya ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2370-6172, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Gilbert, Nigel, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Zia, Kashif (2024) A behavioural agent-based model for housing markets: impact of financial shocks in the UK. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 27(4), 5. (doi: 10.18564/jasss.5518)

Squires, H. et al. (2024) The PHEM-B toolbox of methods for incorporating the influences on Behaviour into Public Health Economic Models. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 2794. (doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20225-1) (PMID:39395958) (PMCID:PMC11475213)

Brook, Anna, Rendall, Georgia, Hearty, Wendy, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Thomson, Hilary ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6810-9948, Macnamara, Alexandra, Crossley, Rachel, Campbell, Mhairi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-7270 and McCartney, Gerard ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6341-3521 (2024) What is the relationship between changes in the size of economies and mortality derived population health measures in high income countries: a causal systematic review. Social Science and Medicine, 357, 117190. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117190) (PMID:39178721)

Olmez, Sedar, Birks, Dan, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Ge, Jiaqi (2024) Learning the rational choice perspective: a reinforcement learning approach to simulating offender behaviours in criminological agent-based models. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 112, 102141. (doi: 10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2024.102141)

Kopasker, D. et al. (2024) Evaluating the influence of taxation and social security policies on psychological distress: a microsimulation study of the UK during the COVID-19 economic crisis. Social Science and Medicine, 351, 116953. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116953) (PMID:38759385) (PMCID:PMC7617584)

Holmes, John, Sasso, Alessandro, Hernández Alava, Mónica, Borges Neves, Rita, Stevely, Abigail K., Warde, Alan and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2024) How is alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking spread across different types of drinking occasion in Great Britain: An event-level latent class analysis. International Journal of Drug Policy, 127, 104414. (doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104414)

Höhn, Andreas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-1205, Andersson, Gunnar, Kulu, Hill and Campbell, Brad (2024) Childbearing across immigrants and their descendants in Sweden: The role of generation and gender. International Migration Review, (doi: 10.1177/01979183241245072) (Early Online Publication)

Hoehn, A. et al. (2024) Estimating quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) for local authorities in Great Britain and its association with indicators of the inclusive economy: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 14(3), e076704. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076704) (PMID:38431294) (PMCID:PMC10910677)

Blake, C. et al. (2024) Participatory systems mapping for population health research, policy and practice: guidance on method choice and design. Documentation. University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.316563).

Hjelmskog, Annika ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4982-9621 (2023) Using the Doughnut Economics Framework to Structure Whole-Systems Thinking in Socioecological Wellbeing with Multidisciplinary Stakeholders: An Applied Case Study in Glasgow, Scotland. UK Public Health Science: A National Conference Dedicated to New Research in UK Public Health, London, UK, 24 November 2023. (doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02057-3)

Griffiths, C. et al. (2023) A complex systems approach to obesity: a transdisciplinary framework for action. Perspectives in Public Health, 143(6), pp. 305-309. (doi: 10.1177/17579139231180761) (PMID:37395317) (PMCID:PMC10683338)

Boyd, Jennifer, Hayes, Kate, Green, Dan, Angus, Colin and Holmes, John (2023) The contribution of health behaviour to socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol harm: analysis of the UK Biobank, a large cohort study with linked health outcomes. SSM - Population Health, 23, 101443. (doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101443) (PMID:37334333) (PMCID:PMC10275713)

Höhn, A. et al. (2023) Systems science methods in public health: what can they contribute to our understanding of and response to the cost-of-living crisis? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 77(9), pp. 610-616. (doi: 10.1136/jech-2023-220435) (PMID:37328262) (PMCID:PMC10423532)

Warde, Alan, Sasso, Alessandro, Holmes, John, Hernández Alava, Monica, Stevely, Abigail K. and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2023) Situated drinking: the association between eating and alcohol consumption in Great Britain. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 40(3), pp. 301-318. (doi: 10.1177/14550725231157222) (PMID:37255611) (PMCID:PMC10225964)

Hjelmskog, A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4982-9621 and Deas, I. (2023) The equity implications of an expanded health and wellbeing role for housing associations. Public Health in Practice, 5, 100355. (doi: 10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100355) (PMID:37346378) (PMCID:PMC10280050)

Broadbent, Philip, Thomson, Rachel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3060-939X, Kopasker, Daniel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2636-8431, McCartney, Gerry ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6341-3521, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Richiardi, Matteo, McKee, Martin and Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6593-9092 (2023) The public health implications of the cost-of-living crisis: outlining mechanisms and modelling consequences. Lancet Regional Health - Europe, 27, 100585. (doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100585) (PMID:37035237) (PMCID:PMC10068020)

Franklin, R. S. et al. (2023) Making space in geographical analysis. Geographical Analysis, 55(2), pp. 325-341. (doi: 10.1111/gean.12325)

Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6593-9092 and Smith, Katherine (2023) Bold action is needed to strengthen primary prevention. British Medical Journal, 380, p595. (doi: 10.1136/bmj.p595) (PMID:36921929)

Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326 and Polhill, J. Gareth (2023) Agent-based modelling as a method for prediction for complex social systems. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 26(2), pp. 133-142. (doi: 10.1080/13645579.2023.2152007)

Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326 and Badham, Jennifer (2023) Negotiating a future that is not like the past. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 26(2), pp. 207-213. (doi: 10.1080/13645579.2022.2137935)

Hardie, Iain ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4694-3755, Sasso, Alessandro, Holmes, John and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2023) Understanding changes in the locations of drinking occasions in Great Britain: an age-period-cohort analysis of repeat cross-sectional market research data, 2001-2019. Drug and Alcohol Review, 42(1), pp. 105-118. (doi: 10.1111/dar.13562) (PMID:36222548) (PMCID:PMC10092301)

Boyd, Jennifer, Wilson, Rebekah, Elsenbroich, Corinna ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-4326, Heppenstall, Alison ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0663-3437 and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2022) Agent-based modelling of health inequalities following the complexity turn in public health: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), 16807. (doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416807) (PMID:36554687) (PMCID:PMC9779847)

Occhipinti, J.-A. et al. (2022) Measuring, modeling, and forecasting the Mental Wealth of Nations. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 879183. (doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.879183) (PMID:35968431) (PMCID:PMC9368578)

Hardie, Iain ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4694-3755, Stevely, Abigail K., Sasso, Alessandro, Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 and Holmes, John (2022) The impact of changes in COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on alcohol consumption and drinking occasion characteristics in Scotland and England in 2020: an interrupted time-series analysis. Addiction, 117(6), pp. 1622-1639. (doi: 10.1111/add.15794) (PMID:35108758)

Brand-Correa, Lina, Brook, Anna, Büchs, Milena, Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Naik, Yannish and O’Neill, Daniel W. (2022) Economics for people and planet – moving beyond the neoclassical paradigm. Lancet Planetary Health, 6(4), E371-E379. (doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00063-8) (PMID:35397225) (PMCID:PMC9226380)

Gibbs, Naomi K., Angus, Colin, Dixon, Simon, Parry, Charles D.H., Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933, Boachie, Micheal K. and Verguet, Stéphane (2022) Equity impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol on household health and finances among rich and poor drinkers in South Africa. BMJ Global Health, 7(1), e007824. (doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007824) (PMID:34992078) (PMCID:PMC8739056)

Naik, Y., Brook, A., Perraton, J. and Meier, Petra ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2021) Fiscal and monetary policies: the cutting edge of advocacy and research on population health and climate change. Perspectives in Public Health, 141(6), pp. 325-327. (doi: 10.1177/17579139211059983)

Holmes, John, Angus, Colin, Sasso, Alessandro, Stevely, Abigail K. and Meier, Petra S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-1933 (2021) What proportion of on-trade alcohol is served to those who are already potentially intoxicated? An analysis of event-level data. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 82(5), pp. 602-609. (doi: 10.15288/jsad.2021.82.602) (PMID:34546906) (PMCID:PMC7611694)

This list was generated on Tue Jan 13 15:06:36 2026 GMT.

Contact

If you are interested in collaborating or maybe joining the team please email us.

Petra Meier, Professor of Public Health
Email: Petra.meier@glasgow.ac.uk

Alice MacLachlan, Portfolio Manager
Email: Alice.maclachlan@glasgow.ac.uk