Dr Erica Gadsby

Associate Professor

Health Sciences Stirling Stirling

Dr Erica Gadsby

Contact details

About me

I am a social scientist committed to understanding and addressing enduring social inequalities. My passion lies in understanding the social forces that shape population health and making transformative contributions to improve the public’s health and wellbeing.

In 2022, I joined the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport as a senior public health lecturer and researcher. With over 15 years' experience working in public health, health policy and systems, and health services research, I have gained wide-ranging experience in these fields.

As a lifelong learner, practitioner, and educator, I am passionate about public health, policy, and research. In my role as a teacher, I aim to deliver a programme that emphasises the art and science of public health, highlighting its relevance and impact on society.

I welcome PhD students with proposals in any area of public health and health service research.

Research interests

I work at the intersection of public health, social science and health services studies. I am a social scientist, and my methodological expertise lies in qualitative research methods, including participatory and systems approaches.

There are four broad strands in my research: (1) systems thinking and policy approaches to complex population health issues; (2) health services research, particularly exploring how health services are organised and delivered in real-world contexts, using qualitative, realist and systems approaches; (3) prevention in public health, evaluation of programmes and evidence translation; (4) international health, social determinants and commercial determinants of health.

My research demonstrates a strong focus on applied public health and is characterised by collaborations with policy makers, practitioners, service users and communities.

Research projects (5)

Long Covid and Critical Service Occupations: impact on Employees and Organisations
PI: Dr Alice MacLean
Funded by: Chief Scientist Office
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Test, evidence, transition: supporting faster breast cancer diagnosis
PI: Dr Erica Gadsby
Funded by: Cancer Research UK
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Rapid Access Referrals for Prostate Cancer
PI: Dr Erica Gadsby
Funded by: Cancer Research UK
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Realist Review: Health visiting in light Of the COVID-19 Pandemic Experience (RReHOPE)
PI: Dr Erica Gadsby
Funded by: National Institute for Health Research
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Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women's Access and Attitudes Towards Contraception
PI: Dr Allison Ford
Funded by: Department of Health
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Outputs (18)

Presentation / Talk

The nature of change in health interventions: qualitative findings from two cancer research projects in Scotland

McInnes M, Teodorowski P, Gadsby E & Hibberd C (2024) The nature of change in health interventions: qualitative findings from two cancer research projects in Scotland. Interventions & co-creation. Society for Social Medicine: Annual Scientific Meeting, Glasgow, 04.09.2024-06.09.2024. https://jech.bmj.com/content/78/Suppl_1/A26.1; https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-ssmabstracts.54

Conference Abstract

P80 Calling for a second-order practice shift in health visiting: reflecting on the findings of a realist review of service organisation and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic

Gadsby E, King E, Bell M, Wong G & Kendall S (2024) P80 Calling for a second-order practice shift in health visiting: reflecting on the findings of a realist review of service organisation and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 78 (Suppl 1). https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-ssmabstracts.174

Article

Test, evidence, transition projects in Scotland: developing the evidence needed for transition of effective interventions in cancer care from innovation into mainstream practice

Gadsby EW, Brown C, Crawford C, Dale G, Duncan E, Galbraith L, Gold K, Hibberd C, McFarland A, McGlashan J, McInnes M, McNaughton J, Murray J, Teodorowski P & Thomson J (2023) Test, evidence, transition projects in Scotland: developing the evidence needed for transition of effective interventions in cancer care from innovation into mainstream practice. BMC Cancer, 23 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-023-11592-w

Research Report

Alcohol Marketing Restrictions: Learning from International Implementation

Carters-White L, Purves R, Gadsby E, Howell R, Gallopel-Morvan K, Fitzgerald N, Stead M & Critchlow N (2022) Alcohol Marketing Restrictions: Learning from International Implementation. Alcohol Focus Scotland. https://www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/resources/alcohol-marketing-restrictions-learning-from-international-implementation.pdf

Teaching

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority.

Currently, I hold the position of Director of the Master of Public Health (online) programme, which can be found at this link: https://www.stir.ac.uk/courses/pg-taught/public-health-online/

I co-ordinate the Public Health Practice and Public Health Research modules as part of this programme, and the Sustainability in Public Health module as part of the on-campus MPH programme.

I am currently External Examiner for the Professional Doctorate in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes