MRC Postdoctoral Fellow

Population Health Interventions

Current work & interests

Richard is an applied public health researcher specialising in the evaluation of environmental and policy-level interventions. His work focuses on understanding how changes to the environment influence behavioural and health outcomes, using advanced quantitative methods and routinely collected data.

Richard is an applied public health researcher specialising in the evaluation of environmental and policy-level interventions. His work focuses on understanding how changes to the environment influence behavioural and health outcomes, using advanced quantitative methods and routinely collected data.

His current research centres on unpacking the mechanisms through which environmental changes affect health and behaviour, and identifying evidence for intervention functions. This work aims to strengthen causal inference in public health by integrating mechanistic evidence with traditional epidemiological approaches, particularly in the context of complex interventions. It forms part of a larger project led by Professor David Ogilvie, examining mechanisms underpinning population-level strategies to prevent diet- and activity-related chronic disease.

Richard contributes to teaching on the MPhil in Population Health Sciences, acting as both a course and dissertation supervisor.

Academic background

Richard holds an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from Imperial College London. His doctoral research examined the physical activity-related health impacts of public transport use, drawing on large-scale datasets including the National Travel Survey and the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study.

Professional memberships

• Member, Society for Social Medicine and Population Health
• Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy (Advance HE)

Publications

• MRC Epidemiology Unit publications on Publications Database
• Google Scholar Profile

Selected publications:

• Patterson, R., Ogilvie, D. B., Hoenink, J. C., Burgoine, T., Hajna, S., & Panter, J. R. (2025). Combined associations of takeaway food availability and walkability with adiposity: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Health & Place, 91, 103405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103405
• Glasson, L., Panter, J., Ogilvie, D., & Patterson, R. (2023). The physical activity implications of retirement across occupational activity groups. Preventive Medicine, 173, 107570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107570
• Patterson, R., McNamara, E., Tainio, M., de Sá, T. H., Smith, A. D., Sharp, S. J., Edwards, P., Woodcock, J., Brage, S., & Wijndaele, K. (2018). Sedentary behaviour and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and incident type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and dose response meta-analysis. European Journal of Epidemiology, 33(9), 811–829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-018-0380-1