Personal statement

Fiona McHardy is a Research Fellow at the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit. She joined the University in 2024 coming from a background of 15 years applied social research within a national level charity. 

Her research practice and experience span across mutiple policy and practice areas which focus on socio economic inequalities working across both devolved and UK policy contexts. 

Previous work has focused on social security systems and social protection, in work poverty and labour market policies, child maintenance, poverty based stigma, health inequalities, housing and many other key policy areas. She is an expert in working with diverse populations and conducting research on sensitive and 'hidden' experiences of poverty.  

She holds extensive experience in working using participatory and creative research approaches including facilatiation of community based research and action learning methodologies.  She holds a strong commitment to applied ethical research practice and holds certification in areas such as trauma informed practice. 

Fiona has a strong track record in impact and knowledge exchange across a diverse range of contexts including local, national and UK Policy contexts. Her research studies have been used in a range of settings including within service design and practice in the front line organisations, building strategic understanding within local authorities, through policy mechanisms including committees and members debates within the Scottish Parliament. At a UK level, her evidence has been utilised within both the House of Commons and the House of Lords in processes of policy scrunity through mechanisms such as All Party Parliamentary Group amongst other spaces.