A social and public health researcher with a growing focus on implementation, applied innovation, and strategic collaboration.
My work explores how people access support for health and wellbeing—especially in places and sectors not traditionally seen as part of the health system. I’m interested in how everyday environments, relationships, and local partnerships can help reduce barriers to participation and inclusion, particularly for those living with mental health or musculoskeletal challenges.
I currently lead EMBRACE, a development project funded by the National Institute for Health Research, which looks at how supermarket spaces might support people to stay connected to work and access help when they need it.
Previously, I held a King’s Global Sustainability Fellowship at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), where I explored how businesses—particularly those with anchor positioning such as supermarkets—can contribute to community wellbeing through place-based action. This work informed the development of Partners in Place, a practical toolkit for businesses and local partners tackling food insecurity and wider wellbeing, offering shared tools to align priorities, mobilise assets, and deliver meaningful local action.
I bring nearly 30 years of experience in research, evaluation, and consultancy across public health, sustainability, and community-based approaches. I’m a Level 1 Associate Practitioner with Social Value International, with expertise in qualitative, mixed, participatory, and realist methods; evidence synthesis; evaluation and monitoring; and grant development.
I’m especially interested in roles that bridge insight and delivery—whether through place-based innovation, strategic design, or community-led approaches. You can find me on LinkedIn: Caroline Lee. Email: CYL40@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Key Publications
Practice-based resources
- Partners in Place: Guidance for collaborative action on food security and wider wellbeing (forthcoming) A hands-on toolkit for businesses and local partners, offering shared tools and conceptual framing to support local action on food insecurity and wellbeing.
- Neighbourly Lab Insights Report (2025) Collaborative work exploring how retail spaces and community infrastructure can support wellbeing and inclusion.
Selected academic outputs
- How could businesses with anchor positioning contribute to community wellbeing? Wellbeing, Space and Society (2024) Examines supermarket-led community support and its potential role in local wellbeing strategies.
- Addressing health inequalities in times of austerity: implementation of a place-based approach in multitiered local government Perspectives in Public Health (2024) Explores how local government structures can support place-based responses to health inequalities.
- Increasing public participation and influence in local decision-making to address social determinants of health: a systematic review Local Government Studies (2023) Synthesizes evidence on participatory approaches to tackling health inequalities.
- Corporate social and community-oriented support by UK food retailers: a documentary review and typology Perspectives in Public Health (2022) Maps retailer-led actions to support community wellbeing.
- A systematic scoping review of community-based interventions for the prevention of mental ill-health in older adults Health and Social Care in the Community (2022) Reviews UK-based interventions promoting mental health in later life.
