Meet our Doncaster Embedded Researchers: Lorna Dowrick
Lorna Dowrick recently joined the AWRC team (alongside Richard Gettings) as an embedded researcher on the NIHR-funded Doncaster Health Determinants Research collaboration. This project which aims to develop research skills, processes and capacity within Doncaster Council to ensure policy decisions relating to health inequalities are informed, fair and evidence-based.
Today, we will meet Lorna and hear a little about their background and what she brings to the collaboration.
Hi, Lorna! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your professional and academic background?
I have just completed an ESRC funded White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership PhD at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University. My PhD research was focused on women and girls’ charitable organisations between 2008 and 2020, and was a mixed-method study that highlighted a range of strengths, challenges and changes for organisations and the policy environment.
Alongside my PhD I have also been involved in several recent research projects at CRESR and the University of Hull, mainly centred on the voluntary and community sector or local authority projects.
Prior to completing my PhD I worked in the voluntary and community sector for over 20 years, primarily within community development and project co-ordination roles. This included establishing, co-ordinating and evaluating a range of health and wellbeing projects and activities including a long-term lottery-funded project supporting people of all ages affected by loneliness and isolation.
What attracted you to the embedded researcher role?
The embedded researcher role is part of the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) a collaboration between Doncaster City Council, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. The HDRC aims to ensure enhanced use of research evidence to inform decision-making to improve health and tackle inequalities and to build capability, capacity and motivation to undertake research and development to address the wider determinants of health in Doncaster.
It is exciting to be part of a project that has such a strong commitment to applied research to address the wider determinants of health and the embedded researcher role is a great opportunity to be able to combine my research skills with my knowledge and experience supporting health and wellbeing in communities.
What are you most looking forward to about the role?
I am really looking forward to working with the rest of the team to develop and support research that will have a positive impact on health and wellbeing in Doncaster.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us Lorna, and welcome to the team!