Lauren is employed as a Research Fellow with Coventry City Council as part of the NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Coventry.

The Coventry HDRC is a collaboration with Coventry City Council, Coventry University, University of Warwick, University College London, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, the voluntary sector, and local communities. Funded by NIHR, HDRCs are working to establish local authority research infrastructure and culture that can reduce health inequalities and improve the health of residents. The focus is on the wider determinants of health, meaning the social, economic, and political contexts that people are born, grow, live, work, and age in. 

By working with collaborators and the people of Coventry to identify their needs and priorities, the HDRC aims to stimulate, support and disseminate research to identify evidence-based solutions and improve health. In particular, Lauren is supporting the development of research-related training opportunities, evaluating the implementation and impact of the HDRC, and connecting with collaborators to drive research and impact.

Lauren is conducting a PhD by Publication with Coventry University. 

Through a critical appraisal of selected research publications, the PhD intends to contribute understanding about a local public health response to COVID-19 and insights for systems-working to address health inequalities.