About

Dr Alistair Anderson

Research Fellow (VAX-TRUST) – University of Nottingham School of Sociology and Social Policy

PhD in Human Geography from the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol.

Social scientist with experience using mixed social research methods, including qualitative and cognitive interviewing, focus groups, social surveys, and statistical analysis.

Doctoral Research

My doctoral research was predominantly on social attitudes around antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. I had a particular focus on pet-owners and their rationalisation of antibiotic use in human- and pet-orientated healthcare settings.

Animal Research Nexus

I joined the Wellcome Trust-funded Animal Research Nexus Programme in June 2020 as a postdoctoral Research Associate, working alongside researchers from five Universities in the UK. My work at the University of Nottingham with Dr. Hobson-West engages with the role of Named Veterinary Surgeons in animal research laboratories.

VAX-TRUST

In June 2021 I joined the VAX-TRUST project as a Research Fellow, again working with Dr. Pru Hobson-West at the University of Nottingham. This is an exciting seven-country project aiming to scrutinize vaccine hesitancy as a broad social phenomenon with the goal of providing tools and support for healthcare professionals in encountering vaccine hesitant individuals.

Policy Work

During my PhD I worked in the House of Lords Library as an ESRC/POST Fellow and in the National Assembly for Wales Research Service as an RCUK Policy Intern. During my time at the House of Lords Library, I wrote a briefing on the potential impacts of the UK’s departure from the European Union on how antimicrobial resistance is addressed in the UK.

I also co-authored written evidence as part of an interdisciplinary team that was published as part of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee’s 2018 Inquiry into Antimicrobial Resistance.

Professional Memberships

I have been a member of the Social Research Association since January 2017, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society since September 2019.