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Staff Profile

Dr Vic McGowan

Senior Research Fellow

Background

Vic McGowan is a Medical Anthropologist whose research interests focus on the political economy of health inequalities examining the structural processes that drive differences in health outcomes across places. She views health inequalities as an example of structural violence impacting the most vulnerable people in society and is a matter of social justice. She is an interdisciplinary social scientist with expertise across applied public health, anthropology, and health geography. Methodologically she is a highly experienced qualitative researcher with particular expertise in advanced qualitative skills in longitudinal methods, co-produced data collection and analysis, participatory research, and ethnography. She is also experienced in using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) techniques to examine how multiple complex factors can influence health outcomes. 


Vic developed the Equal England Public Network which aims to increase public involvement and engagement with health inequalities research. Members of this network have supported various health inequalities projects from inception to interpretation of findings and dissemination at a local, regional, and national level. She is also on the Editorial Board for Health & Place and BMC Public Health and is an associate member of Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research.


She recently completed ethnographic research examining health inequalities across four coastal towns in England as part of a Wellcome Trust funded project North South Health Divide (Principle Investigator Professor Clare Bambra).


Research

Research:

  • Co-I: COVID-19 mortality and deprivation: pandemic, syndemic and endemic health inequalities. Supported by NIHR SPHR.
  • Co-I: 'Lockdown Life NE': Exploring young people's experiences of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative diary-based study using digital and mobile technologies £15,470. Funder: NE Youth/Newcastle University Research Fund/Tilly Hale Fund 2020-2021.
  • Co-I: Marginalisation and health-related stigma: a qualitative systematic review and meta-ethnography. Supported by: NIHR SPHR 2020-2022.
  • Co-I: COVID-19 Health Inequalities Impact Assessment for the North East. In partnership with PHE, VONNE, NIHR NENC ARC. Supported by NIHR SPHR.
  • Co-I: Strengthening the equity focus of public health research in and beyond SPHR £132,179. Funder: NIHR SPHR 2019-2022
  • Co-I: Examining the effectiveness of place-based approaches to improving public health and reducing inequalities during austerity £451,811. Funder: NIHR SPHR 2019-2022
  • Co-I: Equal England: The SPHR Health Inequalities Knowledge Exchange Network £472,951. Funder: NIHR SPHR 2019-2022.
  • Co-I: The long-term health and wellbeing impacts of Healthy New Towns (HNT): a six-month baseline and feasibility study of HNT demonstrator sites in England £40,169. Funder: NIHR PHR 2018-19.
  • PI: Evaluating the impact of the Healthy New Towns Programme in Darlington £38,739. Funder: Darlington Healthy New Towns 2018-19.
  • PI: Designing an evaluation approach for Darlington Healthy New Towns £10,000. Funder: Darlington Healthy New Towns 2017.
  • ESRC Case PhD Studentship: Policy in Perspective: Assessing the impact of school meal legislation on children malnourishment £93,160.




Teaching

PhD Supervision:

  • Dominika Dmitzrak (start date: 2024) The effects of internal migration on regional inequalities and spatial stratification in England.
  • Tim Price (start date: 2021) "The industry died... the towns went right down": Structural Violence and Deaths of Despair in North East England.


MPhil Supervision:

  • Alison Jane: A year in the life of Universal Credit claimants and support staff: insights into experiences, health and wellbeing before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (passed 2023)


PhD Examination:

  • Lucie Nield (2024): Addressing the weight management needs of underserved populations: a systems perspective (Sheffield Hallam University, external examiner).



Publications