SSM ECRs featuring… Dr Maxwell Barnish!
Maxwell Barnish is a Research Fellow at the University of Exeter.
 | Dr Maxwell Barnish University of Exeter Research Fellow SSM member since: 2016 SSM participation: attended multiple ASMs and served on various committees, notably 2018 ECR Subcommittee Chair and 2022 Member of Local Organising Committee. Topics of interest: systematic review, health and society, health technology assessment |
What inspired you to pursue a career in public health?
I would not necessarily define my work as public health, unless I am talking to a lay audience. I am a social epidemiologist and medical sociologist who specialises in evidence synthesis. My motivations were first and foremost to contribute to society and policy. The realities of the field have been more complicated, although especially commissioned policy work has made a direct impact. I think that 2020 has poisoned the term ‘public health’ and researchers should now abandon this term really, maybe using ‘population health’ instead as it does not have the political overtones.
What excites you about working in research now?
I think there needs to be more innovative methodology, more commitment to make a difference, more commitment to working with policy stakeholders in a genuine rather than tokenistic way, and a professional commitment to ensuring recommendations academics make are in keeping with the traditions of western democracy. The potential of a better future for our field is more exciting than the current situation. However, the field must improve if I am to stay in it as I am in this field to help society, I could make a lot more money elsewhere.
What area of social medicine/public health are you interested in?
My primary topic interests fall at the interface between social epidemiology and medical sociology, while my methodological interests are in evidence synthesis. Effectively, I am interested most in bringing evidence together to address big picture questions relevant to health and society.
Can you tell us a bit about a project you’re working on now?
I am working on a range of projects. Some of these are health technology assessments for NICE. I cannot say too much about these prior to release of recommendations so as to not bias the process. I am also working on some more independent research projects. One of these is a realist review conducted within an international collaboration looking at how policy instruments relate to child and maternal health outcomes.
What do you hope this will lead to?
The NICE work serves to directly inform committee decision making regarding which health technologies (drugs, surgical interventions, etc.) to recommend for routine commissioning in the NHS in England and Wales. The realist review work intends to synthesise knowledge and further understanding of the how the influences of policy instruments on child and maternal health operate. This is in essence a knowledge-based project – if others wish to draw on the conclusions for direct application this is a bonus.
Bonus question from SSM member Moritz Oberndorfer: Looking back on your PhD, is there anything that you would like to have done differently? (If yes, what would it be?)
I would have liked to have made the qualitative component of my analysis more substantial and to explored more evidence synthesis methods beyond the narrative systematic review, such as realist review methodologies.
To keep up to date with Maxwell, follow him on Twitter @Maxwell_Barnish or get in touch via email.
SSM ECR features is a blog series that celebrates early career researchers. Each month we meet a member we admire, learn more about their work and find out what and who inspires them. To find out more visit socsocmed.org.uk/blog or email ecr.ssm@gmail.com.