Professor Friel is Professor of Heath Equity and Director of the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse and ARCHE (Australian Research Centre for Health Equity) at the Australian National University, ranked 30 in the QS World Rankings 2026.

She is an internationally recognised leader in the fields of health equity, social determinants of health and planetary health. Her work covers the social, economic and environmental factors that influence people's health and the links between human health and the health of the natural environment. She currently holds an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship, Australia’s most prestigious research award and her 2019 book Climate Change and the People’s Health highlights the importance of addressing the global systems that encourage high levels of consumption.

Professor Friel has served as Commissioner on seven major Lancet Commissions on topics including climate change, obesity, oral health, healthy cities, gender equity, post-COVID population health and poverty alleviation in China, demonstrating sustained global influence on health policy and governance. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences Australia and the Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. In 2014, her international peers voted her one of the world’s most influential female leaders in global health. Professor Friel has written more than 260 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in journals; The Lancet, BMJ, Medical Journal of Australia Social Science and Medicine and Globalisation and Health.

Professor Sharon Friel’s research aligns strongly with the University of Bath’s ambitions in public health, health equity and the commercial determinants of health. Her appointment as Global Chair will build on shared research interests and a commitment to addressing the structural drivers of health inequalities.

Professor Friel will be hosted by Professor Anna Gilmore, Professor of Public Health and Co-Director of Centre for 21st Century Public Health, Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, Professor of Environmental Psychology and Director, Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation and Dr Yixian Sun, Associate Professor in International Development.

On Professor Friel’s appointment as Global Chair, Professor Gilmore said:

We are delighted to welcome Professor Sharon Friel as a Global Chair at the University of Bath. Sharon is one of the world's leading public health academics, whose pioneering work on health equity, the social determinants of health, and planetary health has had a profound impact on policy and practice internationally. Her expertise aligns exceptionally well with our ambitions to address the complex drivers of health inequalities and to develop innovative, interdisciplinary solutions to some of the most pressing public health challenges of our time. We look forward to working closely with Sharon and to the opportunities her appointment will create for Centre for 21st Century Public Health researchers and partners across Bath and beyond.

Proposed Activities at Bath:

• Mentor Bath-based early career researchers and PhD students Foster research exchanges between Bath and Hothouse PhD students
• Deliver a public lecture as part of the inaugural C21PH Public Lecture Series on planetary health equity Participate in an in-conversation event for students and local schools on careers in sustainability research
• Lead a cross-faculty seminar on planetary health equity
• Explore opportunities to establish a Bath-based counterpart to the Planetary Health Equity Future Leaders Program.
• Meet with the University of Bath Climate Action Team to share best practice and institutional experience in sustainability and climate action.