DrFred Piel

My research uses rigorous spatial quantitative methods to study a range of epidemiological questions related to non-communicable disease, in the UK and in other settings, including low- and middle-income countries. I am Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FGRS).

I have two main areas of interest: the wider determinants of health, including environmental factors and socio-economic inequalities, and the burden of inherited conditions such as sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis.

I am particularly interested in applying small-area methods to study environment-health associations within the UK Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU). I am a member of the MRC Centre for Environment & Health (CEH). I am involved in several key projects of the NIHR Health Protection Research Units (HPRU) in Chemical & Radiation Threats and Hazards (CRTH) and in Environmental Exposures & Health (EEH), in collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

I am a leading expert of the epidemiology and health burden of sickle-cell disease and other haemoglobinopathies. I assemble contemporary evidence to inform public health policies in order to better prevent and manage these disorders, and ultimately improve the quality of life of patients. I recently led on the Lancet Haematology Commission on Sickle Cell Disease to define global strategies and priorities.

I am also the Director of Training for the Joint Academic Career Development Programme of the MRC CEH and HPRUs EEH/CRTH, in collaboration with UKHSA, the MRC Toxicology Unit (Cambridge) and Kings College London. I am a mentor in the School of Public Health (SPH) at Imperial College London and a member of the Education Working Group for the new SPH Strategy, and a Sustainability Champion within the College.