We are delighted to introduce Alice Varley Pawley as one of our Data Impact Fellows. Alice shares her background, her current work and research and what she hopes to get out of the Fellows scheme.
Background
I am a second year PhD student in the Geographic Data Science Lab at the University of Liverpool, as part of the ESRC-funded Data Analytics and Society CDT. This PhD programme includes an integrated MSc in Data Analytics and Society over the first two years, which I am currently just finishing up.
Before coming to Liverpool, I had a somewhat varied background.
I have experience in several academic disciplines, initially starting out in the humanities through my BA in Modern Languages with Linguistics at the University of Warwick. After finishing my degree, I opted to take part in a graduate scheme in the non-profit sector (called CharityWorks), which involved a placement in a housing associated.
Following that, I went on to work for a London borough council in the capacity of a service improvement officer for the homelessness function of the council. This role gave me a real interest in data and analytics.
After that, I chose to return to my studies, shifting to computer science with an MSc in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Liverpool.
Finally, I moved to social science and geography for my PhD. I became more interested in healthcare during my masters dgree, where I learned more about the application of data science techniques to improving health. I also have a personal interest in mental health services based on my own experiences, so when I saw this project advertised, it seemed like the perfect fit for me.
My research
My PhD is partnered with a local specialist NHS trust (Mersey Care).
Using linked electronic health records, the PhD aims to investigate and examine various inequalities related to common mental health disorders. Through uncovering the determinants and prevalence of mental health inequalities, it aims to reveal how various spatial, demographic and socioeconomic factors can contribute to mental health inequalities.
It also seeks to understand the relationship between mental healthcare services and the demand for and access to them, including understanding varying levels of mental health need. This has the potential to identify barriers to effective mental health treatment and gaps in service delivery.
Finally, it aims to evaluate how changes in mental healthcare services could impact the distribution of these inequalities in prevalence and treatment, providing insights which could be used to improve services and reduce disparities.
Data from the UK Data Service will be critical in fulfilling these aims, particularly surrounding perceptions of mental healthcare services and of individuals’ own felt mental health need.
Towards the future
As mentioned earlier, I am currently finishing my MSc and working on my first paper exploring the distribution of mental health conditions.
Whilst this research is still in its early stages, the impact could be substantial, leading to better tailored mental healthcare services which can more effectively serve their patients. The impetus for the research is to allow Mersey Care to better understand the inequalities associated with common mental health disorders and how these can be improved.
By understanding the groups that are most affected by these inequalities, knowledge will be gained about what the main barriers are to accessing effective mental health treatment, which groups are hardest to reach, and which services are most needed in certain areas or communities.
In turn, this could contribute towards a higher uptake of mental healthcare and better research allocation through targeting the correct types and numbers of services at population groups and areas that most need them.
This could alleviate unmet mental health need and consequently contribute to a reduction in the very health inequalities identified through this research.
My motivations for becoming a Data Impact Fellow
I hope to use the fellowship to connect with others who are working on the same themes, drawing inspiration from their research, exploring research, methods, and ideas with peers who are similarly driven to enact change.
Equally, I hope to learn more about transforming research into practical and impactful outputs, such as policy reviews or recommendations. This fellowship gives me the chance to incorporate these elements into my PhD and steer it towards applications in evidence-based decision-making.
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