Geography

Profile

Liz Twigg graduated from the Department of Geography in 1984 and undertook her PhD studies at Birkbeck College, University of London where she cultivated her interests in GIS and Health. In 1996 Liz joined the Geography of Health group as an ESRC-funded part-time research fellow working on multilevel analyses and small area estimates of lifestyle behaviour. She became a full-time lecturer in 2003 and was made Principal Lecurer in 2005.

Research Interests

Liz is involved in several collaborative research projects concerning health and well-being (see Geography of Health and Well-being). Much of the work retains a multilevel focus and has widened to investigate place effects on mental well-being and the explanation of community well-being and neighbourhood satisfaction. The innovative work on small area estimation of health related behaviours has been extended to investigate the controversial debate concerning the links between community indicators of social capital and individual health outcome. The technique has also been used to undertake a national assessment of spatial variations in smoking attributable mortality. The research on smoking has also widened to look at the relative success of various smoking cessation campaigns and to identify those which are  most likely to be successful for certain 'hard to reach' groups. 

Teaching

Liz coordinates two units on data analysis, research methods and design and contributes to others both within and outside of the Geography Department. She leads a unit in Health Geography and contributes to units in general Human Geography and GIS methods. Whenever possible, Liz uses examples drawn from her own research to illustrate the importance and relevance of geographical research.

Potential PhD topics

General topics related to health geography - particularly those involving quantitative methodologies (including multilevel modelling). Liz has particular interests in health-related behaviours, the links between social capital and health and the contextual influences on common mental disorders.

Key Publications

All publications