I am particularly fascinated by the changing nature of 'public health' over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. I led a Wellcome Trust funded project which examined the place of the public in public health in Britain since 1948. This considered how the idea of the 'public' changed, as did 'public health'.

I am also interested in the history of substance use, especially illegal drugs and alcohol. Previous work has analysed the history of heroin addiction, and health education messaging around alcohol.

Another research interest revolves around health consumerism, and the contested description of patients as consumers.