Webinar: So what now? Exploring the findings from the Health Foundation’s review of health inequalities in Scotland

Linda conducts behavioural research within public health, with a particular focus on the prevention of non-communicable diseases and how research evidence informs policy. She has led studies on drug and alcohol use, inequalities in health, overweight and obesity, smoking cessation and more recently on Covid-19. She led the first study of the UK's national stop smoking services when they were established in 1998. She has also played a significant role in the monitoring and evaluation of a range of tobacco control policies, and served as the UK government's scientific adviser on tobacco control from 2006 to 2010.

In September 2021 she was appointed as Chief Social Policy Adviser to the Scottish Government. This is a part time secondment until 2025.

Chris Creegan has spent his career in the public and third sectors. He has worked in policy, research, and communications, and held a number of senior leadership roles. He was Director of Corporate Affairs and Deputy Director of Qualitative Research at the National Centre for Social Research between 2006 and 2012, and Chief Executive of the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability between 2013 and 2019.

Chris has extensive experience in public life including as a trade union official, a local councillor, and as a charity and not for profit non-executive. He was Chair of Tower Hamlets Homes between 2007 and 2011, and Scottish Adoption between 2008 and 2015.

Chris is a regular blogger, occasional columnist, and commentator across social media, newspapers and radio. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce, and of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Chris is a lifelong runner and competes regularly for Edinburgh AC. He spends much of his spare time reading and writing, and in the East Neuk village of Pittenweem with his husband, Allan, and their Border Terrier, Craigie.

David Finch is Assistant Director in the Healthy Lives directorate.

David joined the Health Foundation in May 2018 and currently leads a programme of work developing policy and analysis related to the wider determinants of health. His work focuses the role that social and economic policy and business can play in improving health, and understanding the influence that health has on social and economic outcomes of people and places.

Previously David worked for the Resolution Foundation as a Senior Fellow working on a range of issues including tax and benefit policy with a focus on Universal Credit, calculating the Living Wage, demographics, pensions and pay progression.

Prior to this, he worked as an Economic Adviser at the Department for Work and Pensions on areas including childcare and state pensions. David studied Economics at the University of Sussex.

Mubin Haq is the Chief Executive of the independent funder, abrdn Financial Fairness Trust. The Trust works to improve living standards and tackle financial problems and is based in Edinburgh. Previously Mubin worked at Trust for London where he developed a range of initiatives including to help establish the Living Wage Foundation. 

Mubin has worked for a number of independent funders and has been on the boards of Community Foundation Network, the London Strategic Migration Partnership and the Homelessness Transition Fund. Currently he is a trustee of GambleAware.
 

Michael has 26 years’ experience working in public service in Scotland, mainly within the Scottish Government. He has taken on key roles within health, resilience, and education and was private secretary to three separate ministers, also representing Scotland in the USA.

Michael was Chief Officer of Fife Health and Social Care Partnership for three years from August 2016. Since returning to government, Michael established and led a team on constitutional reform. That work was paused at the outset of the Covid pandemic and Michael has been working on the health response within government since then.

Michael graduated from Glasgow University in 1991 with a LLB in Public Law and Politics. He qualified as a solicitor in the criminal legal aid field before joining the civil service. Michael has two daughters. His passions beyond his family extend to football, baseball, American history and music. 

Pennie Taylor is an award-winning freelance journalist and broadcaster who specialises in health and care issues. Based in Glasgow, she was BBC Scotland’s first Health Correspondent and has also worked on the newsdesks of national newspapers.

A former Head of Communications for the Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust in Edinburgh, Pennie has inside knowledge of how public services work. This gives her a uniquely informed perspective from which to approach and stimulate debate.