Dr. Anna Cooper-Ryan
School of Health and Society
Current positions
Head of Public Health
Biography
Anna joined the University of Salford in 2013 as a Lecturer in Public Health, and became Head of Subject in 2021.
Anna completed a first degree in Psychology with Neuropsychology and a Masters in counselling psychology Studies. Prior to completing a PhD titled ‘Effectiveness of a Global Oral Health Programme targeting 6-7 year old primary schoolchildren in NW England, UK’, which was an evaluation commissioned for a private organisation. Anna has also undertaken a PgCert in Systematic reviews for health, for which she teaches and supports students using this method on the MSc.
Anna's previous PhD research has contributed to the outputs of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Oral Health Research in Deprived Communities. This also provided opportunities to engage with international public health professionals including the Malaysian Ministry of Health, public health policy officials from Japan and the WHO in Geneva, and share research outputs at international conferences.
Anna has carried out a number of research projects for local community organisations and councils to evaluate their services or explore the current evidence base around a topic they are investigating. Anna’s research focuses on behaviour change interventions, with a particular interest in using digital data collection tools within interventions and during their evaluation.
Anna has two PhD students who have successfully defended their thesis, and is currently supervising/co-supervising five PhD students (including an ICase PhD studentship), and was an external advisor on a completed PhD at another institution in the North West.
Internally Anna is the current co-chair of the Ethical Approval Panel for Taught Programmes, School of Health Sciences and School of Health and Society. And was previously the co-chair of the School of Health Sciences Early Career Research Network from 2016-2018.
Externally Anna is an external examiner and past Chair of the North West Population Health & Prevention Network Programme Board.
Areas of research
Public Health, Children, Evaluation, Digital, Behaviour
Co-Programme Leader
- MSc Public Health
Module Leader
- MSc Public Health - Evidence Based Public Health
- BSc Public Health Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship - Health Protection and Ethical issues in Public Health
Further Teaching Contributions
- MSc Public Health - Research Methods Applied to Public Health
- 21st Century Global Public Health Challenges
- Dissertation (Public Health)
Anna’s research interests include
- Childhood
- Mixed-methods
- Evaluation of health promotion interventions
- Psychology
- Public health
- New and emerging technologies
- Digital impacts and use in Public Health
- Behaviour change
- Community and school based research and ethics
Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Psychology with Neuropsychology, University of Wales, Bangor
- MSc Counselling Psychology Studies, Keele University
- Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PG CAP), University of Salford
- PhD in Dental Public Health, University of Salford
- PgCert Systematic Reviews in Health (DL) with DISTINCTION, University of Portsmouth
Membership
- Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (PR071269)
- The British Psychological Society – GMBPsS - Graduate basis for registration since 2006
- Member of the Royal Society of Public Health (133576) - MRSPH