Rachael is Professor of Health and Anthropology and Director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research. She is a Social Anthropologist by background who applies techniques from anthropology and qualitative approaches in applied health research. Rachael works within strongly interdisciplinary teams, which includes those delivering research in the UK and in global contexts. Interests include long-term painful conditions, implementation science, technology for health, clinical decision-making and public involvement in research.

Among the grants on which Rachael has been a principal or co-applicant include those from the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Versus Arthritis, the MRC Health Services Research Collaboration (MRC HSRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Rachael’s PhD (1999, Edinburgh) and MA (1991, St Andrews) were both in Social Anthropology. She was previously Networks Officer of the Association of the Social Anthropologists; a member of Council of the Royal Anthropological Institute; and Treasurer and a Trustee of the European Association of Social Anthropologists. She is currently a Trustee of the Bristol Collegiate Research Society. Rachael is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and was formerly external examiner for Durham University's MSc in Medical Anthropology. She provides supervision to research students and delivers training in research methods and writing.

In 2014 Rachael's group received a University Engagement Award for their work in patient involvement in research, in 2016 her team won a special prize for their animated film about patient engagement in the NIHR's New Media competition. Also in 2016 she led a team within the SPHERE Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration into a finalist position in Health and Wellbeing category of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Involvement's Engage Competition. In 2016 Rachael was honoured to be presented with the British Pain Society Medal.

Rachael leads the STAR Programme of Research to improve treatment for long-term pain after knee replacement as well as numerous other multidisciplinary projects and streams of research.

Within the University of Bristol Rachael currently works on the Ethics of Research Committee, the Global Challenges Steering Group and the Steering Group of the Population Health Specialist Research Institute. She leads the Qualitative Research Network in Bristol's NIHR-supported Biomedical Research Centre. As Director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research Rachael is committed to support of interdisciplinary and cross-Faculty research in health.