Full Blog:

Janis Baird

Name:
Janis Baird

Position:
Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology
University of Southampton

SSM member since:
1993

SSM committee roles:
President (2025-2026)
President-elect (2024-2025)
Chair of SCR Committee (2019-2023)
Committee member (2015-2018)

Topics of interest:
Lifecourse epidemiology; Preconception health

How did your career in social medicine/population health begin?
Having worked in hospital Paediatrics, I then secured a post in community Paediatrics in Greenwich health authority in 1991. I worked in Woolwich and other more deprived areas of the health authority and saw how disadvantage had an enormous influence on the health and wellbeing of children. I became more interested in population health and disease prevention and so applied for a public health job in Somerset health authority followed by an application to the Wessex public health training scheme in 1993.

What is your research area and what excites you most about it?
My research focuses on improving health in the early phases of the lifecourse, particularly preconception and pregnancy. We use cohort and other observational studies to find out about people’s lives and the factors that influence their health so that we can develop interventions that will improve health and wellbeing. I am interested in the design of research and have worked on research methodology for complex intervention research. I led the development of MRC guidance on process evaluation in 2015 and was involved in the revised guidance on complex interventions published in 2022.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my research is working with colleagues from a range of disciplines. My background is in public health and epidemiology, but I have colleagues who are nutritionists, psychologists, geographers, and statisticians. We all bring our different expertise and perspectives, and this is a strength for the kind of research we do.

How has SSM influenced your career journey and what have you got out of being an SSM member?
I have been a member of SSM since 1993 when I started working in public health as a registrar in Wessex. I have found it invaluable for networking with population health professionals in different organisations. The annual conference has been a great way of hearing about population health research and latest developments in a particular topic, and of findings others with similar interests. I love the friendly and supportive environment that the Society provides – this applies to the conference but also to the main committee and various subcommittees. I have enjoyed being part of the committee since 2015 in a number of different roles and am finding my current role as president rewarding.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in social medicine/population health?
I think making links with other early career researchers (ECRs) in population health is important, particularly given the challenges of pursuing a career in research. It is difficult to secure research funding and there is a lack of job security for many researchers. It’s also important to get support and guidance from senior colleagues. The Society can help. We have an active ECR committee which plans events for ECRs which provide opportunities for networking. We also have an excellent mentoring scheme where researchers can find a mentor from another organization to support them.

What have you gained most from the SSM Mentoring Scheme, either as a mentor or a mentee?
I have been a mentor for more than 10 years and have enjoyed supporting researchers at different stages of their careers. It is rewarding to be a mentor and I learn a lot about the challenges for researchers at earlier stages in their careers. I have also been mentored myself in recent years by a more senior colleague from another institution. This has been tremendously helpful.

Tell us a (fun) fact about yourself that is unrelated to your career.
I love baking. I do it the old-fashioned way with a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. There’s something very soothing about mixing ingredients that way.