Heide Weishaar

Heide joined the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (SPHSU) in November 2014. Her public health policy research is driven by a deep passion for the improvement of population health and a desire to understand the complex interdependencies of individual, social and political determinants of health. Heide currently uses social network analysis (SNA) to study policy networks, coalition-building and stakeholder interests in the development of European and national public health policy. She brings specific experience in tobacco-related research to her post at SPHSU. Prior to joining the unit, she worked at the University of Edinburgh, from where she also obtained a PhD in Public Health Sciences in 2013 and an MSc in Public Health Research in 2007.

Heide is dedicated to a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to policy-relevant public health research with an impact for practitioners, politicians and civil society. She enjoys working with colleagues from different academic disciplines and institutional backgrounds. She is strongly involved in the organisation of the Social Network Analysis in Scotland Group (SNAS), an inter-institutional forum which promotes and facilitates knowledge exchange and collaboration with regard to SNA. Heide teaches courses on social network research and public health policy.

In addition to social network and health policy research, Heide has an interest in the health of migrants, refugees and vulnerable population groups and previous work experience as a physiotherapist and project coordinator on a humanitarian aid project providing medical assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.