Laia Becares

My research interests are in studying the determinants of inequalities in health, with a focus on life course effects. I am particularly interested in understanding the pathways by which the discrimination and marginalisation of people and places lead to social and health inequalities. This work has mostly focused on examining the association between marginalisation, oppression, and health, in order to understand how experiences of discrimination pattern people's health and social outcomes, as well as that of their children. I am also interested in understanding how the accumulation of experienced discrimination across people's lives determines their health as they age. I study these processes in relation to racism, homophobia, and heterosexism as systems of oppression.

I am a Social Epidemiologist by training, and take an interdisciplinary, mixed-methods approach to my work. I collaborate with quantitative and qualitative Sociologists, Psychiatrists, Geographers, Demographers, and other Epidemiologists.

I joined Sussex in August 2018 having previously worked at the University of Manchester (2010-2018), where I retain an Honorary position. At Manchester I was an ESRC/MRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Joint Hallsworth/ESRC Future Research Fellow, and Lecturer in Social Statistics. Prior to that I held research posts at Northeastern University (Boston, US), and at UCL. I obtained my PhD in Social Epidemiology from UCL, and my Masters in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health.

I am interested in supervising doctoral students who want to explore topics relating to health inequalities, mental health, racism, LGBTQ+ inequalities, ageing, and life course effects.