Simon Williams

My current research interests are in two main areas:

Firstly, I am interested in the issue of racial-ethnic- and gender-based inequalities in academic and scientific medical and scientific careers. Specifically, current research looks at the career aspirations and experiences of PhD students and postdoctoral and early-career researchers under conditions of employment insecurity. I am currently Co-Investigator on a large U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant in this area.

Secondly, I am also interested in corporate power and 'corporatology' as related to public health; particularly in the areas of the food, beverage and tobacco industries. My recent book, co-edited with Marion Nestle, on Big Food (Routledge, 2016), explores the role of corporations in the global rise of unhealthy diets and their associated diseases.

I aim to produce research that is of interest to a variety of non-academic audiences as well as to the public more broadly. He has worked with a number of charities and NGOs and his research has been discussed in a number of media outlets including The Times, The BBC and Science Magazine.

Before joining Aston, I was Research Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in Chicago in the United States. He is also currently Adjunct Assistant Professor at Northwestern. He completed his PhD in Sociology and Social Policy at Cardiff University, and has also held teaching or research positions at the University of Bath and the University of Cambridge.