Dr Anita Mehay

Overview

Dr. Anita Mehay is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Innovation Research (CHIR), a research centre across the School of Health and Medical Sciences and Bayes Business School. Her research focuses on developing, evaluating, and scaling complex interventions to address health inequities, with a particular emphasis on race/racism, inclusion health and criminal justice. Anita’s research seeks to improve outcomes for underserved populations, including children, families, and individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, ensuring that health interventions are equitable, accessible, and transformative.

Dr Mehay leads several research awards, including the Fathers Together study which supports young fathers in prison and their children and families. Her work is deeply rooted in addressing systemic barriers and promoting inclusion health, through coproduction and meaningful third sector and community engagement.

Anita joined City St George's, University of London in June 2023. She previously held roles as an Improvement Fellow at The Health Foundation and research positions at University College London (UCL) and the University of East London (UEL). She has a PhD in Psychology, Criminology, and Sociology from Royal Holloway, University of London, and is a chartered and registered Health Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Qualifications

• PhD in Psychology, Criminology & Sociology, Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom, 2013 - 2017
• Post graduate certificate in Health Psychologist Practice, University of Surrey, United Kingdom, 2013 - 2017
• MSc Health Psychology, University of Southampton, United Kingdom, 2002 - 2003
• BSc Psychology, University of Reading, United Kingdom, 1999 - 2002

Employment

• Senior Research Fellow, City, University of London, United Kingdom, 2023 - present
• Improvement Fellow, The Health Foundation, 2020 - 2023
• Senior Research Associate, University College London, United Kingdom, 2019 - present
• Research Fellow, University of East London, United Kingdom, 2017 - 2019

Featured publications

1. Watt, R.G., Lodder, A., Box, L., Brand, A., Butt, J., Crawford, M.... Mehay, A. (2026). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a parenting programme to improve family wellbeing in England (TOGETHER): a multicentre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Public Health, 11(4), pp. e233-e244. doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(26)00046-0

   [publisher’s website]

2. Mehay, A., Box, L., Manning, K., Lodder, A., Patel, T.B., Clutterbuck, D.... Watt, R.G. (2026). From tokenism to transformation: lessons from the TOGETHER study for building inclusive and equitable research. Research Involvement and Engagement, 12(1). doi:10.1186/s40900-026-00871-y

   [publisher’s website]

3. Mehay, A., Motta, G.D., Hunter, L., Rayment, J., Wiggins, M., Haora, P.... Harden, A. (2024). What are the mechanisms of effect of group antenatal care? A systematic realist review and synthesis of the literature. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24. doi:10.1186/s12884-024-06792-6

   [publisher’s website]

4. Edge, C., Hard, J., Wainwright, L., Gipson, D., Wainwright, V., Shaw, J.... Mehay, A. (2021). COVID-19 and the prison population. London, UK: The Health Foundation
5. Heilmann, A., Mehay, A., Watt, R.G., Kelly, Y., Durrant, J.E., van Turnhout, J.... Gershoff, E.T. (2021). Physical punishment and child outcomes: a narrative review of prospective studies. The Lancet, 398(10297), pp. 355-364. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00582-1

   [publisher’s website]

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