Oxfordshire Local Policy Lab appoints first Chief Scientific Advisors
Oxfordshire’s Local Policy Lab has appointed its first Chief Scientific Advisors (CSAs) to provide research leadership as part of its work in reducing health inequalities in the county.
An alliance between the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Oxfordshire County Council, the Local Policy Lab promotes partnerships between academia, community and government to inform policy and improve quality of life for Oxfordshire residents.
Professor James Robson, Dr Joanna Crocker and Professor Jonathan Reid will each be responsible for leading an ambitious three-year research plan in each of the county’s three priorities as a Marmot place: delivering a skilled workforce and fair employment, ensuring a healthy standard of living for all, and enabling children and young people to thrive.
The advisors will work in close collaboration with local policy makers, practitioners and communities over the next three years to affect direct impact on the ground.
Dr Martin Reeves, Chief Executive at Oxfordshire County Council said: “We are hugely excited to welcome Joanna, James and Jonathan as our first Chief Scientific Advisors.
“The advisers will only further strengthen the Local Policy Lab partnership and better help us to meet the needs of, and maximise opportunities for, people and communities across the county.”
The Local Policy Lab was founded in 2024 to bring together Oxford’s universities and councils to tackle Oxfordshire’s biggest challenges and support the county’s Marmot priorities.
Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The appointment of our first Chief Scientific Advisors marks a significant step forward for Oxfordshire.
“By collaborating with universities and local communities, we are continuing to demonstrate our dedication to reducing health inequalities and creating a greener, fairer, and healthier Oxfordshire for all.”
The news coincides with the launch of the county council’s research strategy, at an event earlier in November. The strategy, running until 2030, will drive the council’s use of high quality, people focused research to inform policy for a greener, fairer, and healthier Oxfordshire.
It will strengthen collaboration with community groups, universities, and partners, helping to embed research skills and evidence-based decision making across council services, and create the right environment for impactful research.
About the Chief Scientific Advisors
Professor James Robson
James Robson is Associate Professor of Tertiary Education Systems at the University of Oxford’s Department of Education, where he also serves as Director of Research and as Director of the Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE). His research explores the political economy of tertiary education: how education systems can better connect with employment, respond to skills demand, support innovation ecosystems, and advance social justice.
Dr Joanna Crocker
Joanna Crocker is a Senior Researcher in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. She specialises in patient, public and community involvement in health research, with a particular interest in how such involvement can reduce health inequalities.
Associate Professor Jonathan Reid
Dr Jonathan Reid is an Associate Professor of Education in the School of Education, Humanities and Languages at Oxford Brookes University. His research focuses on inclusion and exclusion in education, with particular interest in children and young people with diverse needs, adversity, trauma, and wellbeing.
About the Local Policy Lab
Oxfordshire’s councils, the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University can access a wealth of cutting edge, impact driven research to inform solutions to public policy challenges facing the county.
The Local Policy Lab aims to:
- Connect University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes researchers with county and district council policymakers, local volunteer and charity organisations, and with communities to support evidence-based public policy in key areas. The initial focus is on the socio-economic underpinnings of health inequalities.
- Create opportunities for graduate students, supervised by academics and county officers, to work on existing datasets, collect new qualitative data and undertake impact evaluations.
- Support stronger long-term relationships between Oxfordshire’s councils and universities.
Find out more by visiting the Local Policy Lab’s website.
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