Mrs Preeti Dhuria

Research interests

• Public Health Nutrition
• Food Environment
• Food Policy
• Responsibility for healthy choices
• Health inequalities  

Current research

My current research focus is on strategies to improve food environments and reduce health inequalities.

I work as project manager of a large NIHR Public Health Research Programme funded research study WRAPPED (Women’s Responses to Adjusted Product Placement and its Effects on Diet). WRAPPED is a natural experiment being conducted in collaboration with a national UK supermarket chain and is examining the impact of healthier product placement on women’s dietary habits and purchasing patterns. As part of this role, I manage the day to day running of the project, oversee data collection, process evaluation tasks, collaborate with external research partners and disseminate study findings. I have also set up a sub-study, collecting and analysing qualitative interview data about the disruptions the COVID19 pandemic had on women’s shopping and eating patterns.

I was awarded a prestigious University of Southampton Presidential Scholarship in 2019 to conduct a doctoral research study. My PhD uses a variety of qualitative research methods to understand the responses of customers, retailers, health representatives, enforcers, and policymakers on the upcoming Food (Promotions and Placement) Regulation 2022. This research will offer insight into the intended and unintended consequences of this landmark legislation and could help to highlight future food policy refinements.

Research projects