Rebecca O'Connell

I am Professor of Food, Families and Society at the Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care (CRIPACC), University of Hertfordshire. My research examines the social, cultural and economic determinants shaping what children and families eat, and the part food plays in their everyday lives. I have particular interest and expertise in food inequalities and in understanding and informing policies and practices that impact the diets and lives of children, families and communities who are marginalised. I have expertise in leading research teams to carry out mixed- and multi-methods research, international comparative approaches and a range of qualitative methods, including ethnography. My work has been funded by the European Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, Food Standards Agency, Public Health England and Higher Education Innovation Fund. In addition to peer reviewed journal articles, my publications include three co-authored books and an edited collection. I am deeply committed to using research to inform public and policy debates and to this end collaborate with organisations concerned with the effects of social policies on children’s and families’ diets and lives.

Since 2019 I have been a trustee of the charity School Food Matters and I am currently Chair of Trustees. I am a Visiting Professor at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education, where I was a researcher from 2008-2022.