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Spotlight: Chris Garrington

20 June 2018

This month IEHC talks to Chris Garrington, Impact and Engagement Associate for the ESRC International Centre for Lifecourse Studies within the Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.

Chris Garrington (ICLS)  

What is your role and what does it involve?

I am the Impact and Engagement Associate for the ESRC International Centre for Lifecourse Studies. I work closely with the researchers at the Centre on all the aspects of their research related to impact. I provide support with writing the impact sections of grant bids, identify key individuals and groups who might get involved in and benefit from the research and help develop and build relationships with them. I help with the communication and dissemination of research though traditional and social media, including our Centre's two blogs on child health and development (Child of our Time) and on work, health and family life (WorkLife) and I produce our Lifecourse Podcast.  I also identify opportunities to engage with the policy process and pull together evidence for submission to select committees and All Parliamentary Groups. My job involves a lot of talking with people and quite a lot of writing as I aim to make often complex academic research accessible, interesting and useful to non academics.

How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?

I have only been employed by UCL since April 2018, but before that I worked with the ICLS team in a freelance capacity for four years. I started my working life as a BBC radio journalist, but have been working with academic researchers for nearly 10 years now. My role at UCL is part-time, so I still work with researchers at other Universities.

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

I am proud of introducing the idea of podcasting to the communications mix for researchers back in 2008, before podcasting was as popular as it is now. I set up my first podcast at the University of Essex in 2008 and have produced and/or presented more than a dozen podcasts since then, including an extremely popular one on research methods can you believe! I enjoy presenting them, but also supporting and encouraging academics to present their own. I work with one Professor of Human Rights who is on his 3rd series and another academic at UCL who has just recorded her second episode. I think it's a great vehicle for research and fun to do!

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list?

Social media and its impact on young people's mental health and well-being is a hot topic at the moment and at ICLS researchers have recently produced a body of really important work in this area. As well as promoting individual papers, I am in the process of drafting evidence for a parliamentary inquiry, planning a Festival of Social Science event on the topic and talking with individuals and groups interested to know more with a view to influencing policy and practice in this area. 

What is your favourite album, film and novel?

  • Favourite album: And then there were three (Genesis) 
  • Favourite film: One flew over the cuckoo's nest
  • Favourite novel: To kill a Mockingbird

Who would be your dream dinner guest?

Jane Garvey - Woman's Hour presenter - we'd have a great natter about old times working at Five Live together (including at the 1998 World Cup in France) and about life, the universe and everything!

What is your favourite place?

Sri Lanka - I lived there for 6 years and love the people, the food, the climate, the diversity of the landscape and tuk-tuks.