Dr Fran Pontin

Profile

I am a Senior Research Data Scientist in the Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC) and module leader in the School of Geography. I am a member of the Institute for Spatial Data Science (ISDS) and sits in Leeds Institute for Data Analytics (LIDA). My research interests focus on characterising and reducing spatial health inequalities utilising secondary ‘smart’ data analysis and the development of open data products to improve the use of data in informing policy decisions.

Research interests

My research interests include spatial health inequalities, food insecurity and the environmental and socio-demographic determinants of physical activity, dietary and wider health behaviours. My research focuses on developing methodologies to utilise secondary ‘smart’ data analysis in spatial health research. My research also includes close collaboration with policy makers and stakeholders to develop open data products. Making data insights accessible to non-technical audiences to aid data driven policy decision making. 

Recent research activites include:

• The Prioirty Places for Food Index

• ‘Breaking barriers to active travel: Modelling the Impact of Weather and Daylight to Reduce Inequality’

• Does food insecurity lead to greater health inequalities?

• ‘Investigating the impact of HFSS Legislation’.

• Identifying Determinants and Patterns of Physical  Activity Behaviour Using Smartphone Data

• 14 November 2023 - Fairness in the food supply chain - Oral evidence,

• Embodying Impact: A Conversation with Early Career Impact Prize Winners

• ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize: Outstanding business and enterprise impact

• Utilising open data to enhance park safety for women and girls in Bradford

Qualifications

• PhD, Quantitative Human Geography, University of Leeds, 2022
• MSc. Data Analytics & Society, School of Geography, University of Leeds, 2019
• BSc. Food Science & Nutrition, University of Leeds, 2017

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Educations Academy (FHEA), University of Leeds, 2021
• The Alan Turing Institute: Novel data linkages for health and wellbeing Special Interest Group
• International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Women in Data

Student education

My teaching focuses on the development of applied programming (Python) and (spatial) data science skills to analyse large social science and secondary datasets I lead education programmes across undergraduate, postgraduate and professional development courses. I also closely work with the  LIDA Data Scientist Development Programme and have a keen interest in upskilling and increasing the diversity of the data science workforce.

Research groups and institutes

• Institute for Spatial Data Science