Rich is an epidemiologist and geographer whose research delves into the intricate relationship between environments and health inequalities. He leads an MRC-funded research programme on Places and Health, which seeks to answer key questions: How do places evolve? How do they affect health? And how can this knowledge be harnessed to enhance health and narrow health inequalities?
Utilising innovative quantitative methodologies, Rich's team investigates how places integrate into complex systems that shape health outcomes. Their approach includes employing wearable technologies to track children's movements, employing agent-based models to simulate human-environment interactions, and utilising GIS to visualise and comprehend spatial dimensions of population health.
Rich's personal research centres on understanding the impact of changes in natural and urban environments on population health and health inequalities. He is particularly interested in green spaces like urban woodlands and parks, exploring how access to such areas can both foster health and mitigate health inequalities.
Rich is also interested in resilience and positive deviance, examining how individuals and communities adapt to challenging environments and drawing lessons to benefit others. Collaborating with colleagues at CRESH, Rich also investigates the influence of alcohol and tobacco retail environments on population health and disparities.