Dr Joy Walker
School of Health & Society
Current positions
Lecturer in Public Health
Biography
Joy joined the University of Salford, School of Health and Society as a lecturer in Public Health in 2025. Joy’s PhD award in 2023, from the University of Leeds, explored ‘Decision-making in IVF and adoption: negotiating circumstances over time.’ Her PhD thesis adds social theory to the sociology of families and a conceptual framework that understands in/fertility journeys from a life course perspective. It also brings new knowledge to public health to shape how policy and practice responds to the complexity of infertility as an issue.
Joy was awarded an NHS Fellowship to pursue her Master’s dissertation study exploring parents’ health education needs in providing sex education and reducing teenage pregnancy. She has a MSc in Health Education and Health Promotion. Her BSc (Hons) Nursing degree inspired her strong community public health focus exploring a phenomenological study of parent’s perception of support following their child’s diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. The phenomenon of support has shaped her professional practice within public health as a key determinant of health outcomes.
Her PhD and current research interests include Public Health in relation to infertility, inequalities, reproductive social justice, IVF, adoption, sociology of families, parent health education needs, Service Evaluations including Sure Start, Intensive family support and Start for Life Programmes.
Joy has been involved in a wide range of research studies drawing on her qualitative research expertise. Her research portfolio, developed through cohesive teamwork, secured external research funding to undertake service evaluation, includes:
-Evaluation of the Intensive Family Support Service through service users’ experiences (North East and East areas of Leeds).
-SureStart Evaluation Mellow Valley Findings from the stakeholder survey.
-SureStart Harehills Evaluation Participatory Appraisal: Play and learning opportunities for children, educational and leisure opportunities for adults Evaluation of the North Tyne Sex Education Team Training Programme.
-An evaluation of school sex education Team Training.
-Evaluation of the Leeds Teenage Pregnancy Strategy.
The impact of her service evaluations added an evidence base to practice and helped secure future external funding for services. For example, with this evidence base she enabled an innovative public health service gain recognition, as a flagship service, and win the Leeds Health Stars Award from the Director of Public Health for their innovative work with vulnerable young families. Joy also presented to a range of stakeholders, published research reports and academic papers published in international peer-reviewed journals. Prior to working in higher education Joy held senior positions within primary health care settings where she worked in deprived inner-city areas in Leeds and Bradford.
Joy is a module leader and enjoys lecturing on the Population Health Fellowship Postgraduate Certificate, MSc in Public Health programme and the Public Health Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship. She also holds a postgraduate teaching certificate in Higher Education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Areas of Research
Public Health in relation to infertility, inequalities, reproductive social justice, IVF, adoption, sociology of families, parent health education needs. Service Evaluations including Sure Start , Intensive family support, Family hubs and Start for life programmes.
Qualifications
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Sociology and Social Policy
2023