Dr Laura Hamilton is a Research Fellow in Food and Public Health at the Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care (CRIPACC). Her doctoral research at UCL was linked to the multi-national ERC funded ‘Families and Food in Hard Times’ study. Her thesis focused on the role of family income and other factors (e.g. sex, age, socioeconomic factors) in understanding young people’s (aged 11 – 16 years) food and eating practices, using a mixed methods approach (available here).

In her research, Laura uses a multi-disciplinary and mixed methods approach (i.e. quantitative, qualitative and visual methods), incorporating social theories of practice and behaviour change. Her research primarily focuses on dietary and health inequalities, with an emphasis on food poverty. She is particularly interested in the ways income, poverty and state welfare policies influence the food and eating practices of families, children and young people across various settings. In particular, the influence of local and national school food policies, such as free school meals.

Laura is also interested in the impact of austerity measures and state welfare policies (e.g. the introduction of Universal Credit) on women and mothers in relation to poverty, food practices and the division of household labour within families and society more generally.

Dr Laura Hamilton is available to supervise postgraduate or doctoral students pursuing quantitative or mixed methods research in the following (or similar) areas in relation to families, children, young people or women:

• Food & Eating Practices (or Behaviours)
• Dietary & Health Inequalities
• Food Poverty & Insecurity
• Income, Poverty & State Welfare
• School Food & Free School Meals
• Sustainable & 'Ethical' Food Practices