Catherine Homer

Dr Catherine Homer is an Associate Professor of Obesity and Public Health in the Physical Activity, Wellness and Public Health research group based in the School of Sport and Physical Activity (SoSPA). Catherine is the Healthy and Active 100 research theme lead in the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), Deputy Editor of the Journal Perspectives in Public Health and the Yorkshire and Humber and the Public Health Specialist Research Lead for the NIHR Research Delivery Network.

Catherine has worked at Sheffield Hallam University for 14 years in both Health and Social Care and Sport and Physical Activity Research Centres. She is an expert in public health and obesity with 20+ years' research and practice experience as a Public Health Specialist in a NHS Trust and Local Authority. Catherine has over 60 peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings on qualitative health evaluations of paediatric/adolescent obesity, experiences of bariatric surgery, and fuel poverty health risks (old and cold) and on research grants worth over £7.4m as PI/Co-I.

Catherine's current research interests focus on public health, obesity, research capacity development and inequalities.

She is keen on using coproduction and person-centred approaches to research and service evaluation and co-led the development of the ‘Public Involvement in Research Group’ and is a member of the steering group for the Obesity Voices PPIE steering committee at Leeds Beckett University.

Catherine has strong collaborations with external partners and academic institutions and is currently PI on a £1.5m NIHR HS&DR funded (2024-26) project 'ENHANCE - Evaluating the NHS England12 Complications of Excess weight clinics for children and young people' led by academics from five universities and two hospital trusts. Catherine is also Co-I on a £5m NIHR PHR project Doncaster Health Determinants Research Collaboration (2022-2027).

Catherine is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health and Deputy Editor of the journal Perspectives in Public Health and regularly reviews for international peer review journals and research submissions.

Following the completion of her PhD in 2020 entitled Expectation and Experiences of Bariatric Surgery: a longitudinal qualitative study, Catherine now supervises 6 Doctoral students.