Dr Paul Norman

Profile

Dr Paul Norman is an Associate Professor specialising in population and health geography. His research interests include: Harmonisation of small area level socio-demographic, morbidity and mortality data to enable time-series analysis of demographic and health change. Development of small area population estimation methods that incorporate multiple data sources about population subgroups and demographic processes. Using area typologies to understand migration patterns and resulting health outcomes. Using individual level microdata to understand aggregate differences in population stratification and characteristics over time.

Responsibilities

• Programme Leader

Research interests

How can we monitor population change over time? Which of the demographic components of change accounts most for changes in population? Is this consistent across urban and rural areas? Which areas are losing population through out-migration?

Change in area deprivation characteristics over time. Are areas becoming more or less deprived over time or is it, once deprived, always deprived? If areas have become less deprived, is this the result of regeneration policy, gentrification or inner city revitalisation?

Are the inequalities in health along the deprivation gradient increasing or decreasing over time? What are the contributions of geographical and social mobility in any changes?

Are there differences by ethnic group for any of the above?

Qualifications

• PhD, Population & Health Geography
• MA, Geographical Information Systems, School of Geography, University of Leeds
• BSc Environmental Science & Geography, Environmental Science, University of Bradford
• Diploma of Professional Studies in Environmental Science, University of Bradford

Professional memberships

• British Society for Population Studies
• Society for Social Medicine & Population Health
• Associate Member of Laria (Local Authorities Research and Information Association)

Student education

Paul Norman has a postgraduate facing teaching profile centred around being programme leader for the MSc in Geographical Information Systems. This MSc provides skills and knowledge around various GIS software along with spatial analysis using statistical packages. The Masters degree covers a mix of quantitative human, environmental / physical and technical aspects with Paul's expertise contributing to the more human facing elements. Increasingly Paul would encourage cross-over work between these aspects including, for example, consideration of social inequities in environmental experiences.

Students will find Paul emphasises the need to understand data sources and specifications along with study frameworks to thereby select methods through which to analyse and thereby answer research questions in an appropriate manner. Ultimately, this plays out in any student's dissertation research for which Paul is keen that people present their achievements to their best potential.

Paul has a set of CPD training short courses on GIS, statisical methods and in various applied population geography / demography settings.

Research groups and institutes

• Institute for Spatial Data Science