Professor Ruth McGovern

Professor Ruth McGovern is Co-Director for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria, as well as Deputy Lead for our Supporting Children and Families Research Theme.

She is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health Research at the Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University.

Her research is at the interface between public health and social care and aims to promote social justice through improving health and social care for children and families under stress.

In particular, her research focuses upon developing and evaluating interventions for children and families living in poverty and/or affected by substance use, mental health and domestic violence.

Ruth was recently awarded an NIHR Population Health Career Scientist Fellowship to develop a poverty-informed approach to preventing mental health problems in children and families experiencing disadvantage. Alongside this, she leads a large programme of social care and mental health research.

Ruth has a professional background in social work and counselling. Throughout her professional career she specialised in drug and alcohol treatment, working in a range of therapeutic and social care settings.