Understanding Social Dynamics in Public Health and Social Policy: Systems Science Approaches
Audience: Public Format: Hybrid
Lecture followed by Q & A
Tuesday, 26 May 2026, 4pm to 5.30pm
Systems science methods are powerful tools for understanding and addressing complex health and social problems. By capturing the interplay of multiple, interacting factors, these approaches can illuminate how population-level outcomes emerge over long time horizons and can be used to rigorously compare policy implementation strategies in a simulated environment before they are applied in the real world.
Drawing on Dr Mair’s research spanning alcohol use, violence, and community health, this lecture illustrates how systems approaches—from agent-based models to participatory systems science—can identify policy leverage points and inform more effective interventions. She will demonstrate how integrating multiple systems science methods to examine the same problem deepens their analytical power and strengthens their relevance to policy and practice.
This is an Astor Visiting Lecture.
Speaker(s): Professor Christina Mair (University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health)
Series: DSPI Seminar Series
Venue:
VBR Department of Social Policy and Intervention
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VBR Department of Social Policy and Intervention 32-42 Wellington Square (Barnett House) Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 2ER United Kingdom
Department: Social Policy and Intervention (Department)
Organiser: Professor David Humphreys
Host: DSPI
More info:
Booking is required for people outside of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI). DSPI members do not need to register.