Linda Bauld

Linda is a professor and public health expert who played a crucial role in improving public understanding of science during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Linda was born in Edinburgh but spent part of her childhood in Canada. She studied political science at the University of Toronto before completing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in 1997. After holding research positions at several universities in the UK, she returned to Edinburgh in 2018 to take up the Bruce and John Usher Chair of Public Health, becoming the first woman to hold this university position.

 

Linda conducts behavioural research, focusing on the prevention of non-communicable diseases and how research evidence informs policy. Her research has spanned topics like smoking and vaping, drug and alcohol use, and obesity.

 

She was a prominent public figure throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, making media appearances and contributing to debates on public health. Linda also holds several advisory roles in government and for major medical charities.