Ruth McDonald, Professor of Health Science Research and Policy at Alliance MBS, has been conferred the award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
She is one of 51 leading UK social scientists to have recently received the honour, all of whom were elected on the basis of their outstanding contributions to research and to the application of social science to policy, education, society and the economy. Professor McDonald was the only academic on the list from The University of Manchester.
Her research often concerns simple ‘solutions’ to complex problems in health settings, and she has led a number of large-scale mixed method evaluations of aspects of health policy. Much of her research has concerned financial incentives for both hospitals and NHS staff, and she has provided advice to a range of bodies including the Department of Health and The Health Foundation in the UK, as well as to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and to the Research Council of Norway.
Said Professor McDonald: “I am thrilled to be appointed a Fellow and delighted that my work over many years has been recognised by the Academy.”
The Academy’s Fellowship is made up of distinguished individuals from academic, public and private sectors, across the full breadth of the social sciences. Through leadership, applied research, policymaking and practice, they have worked to help understand and tackle some of the toughest challenges facing us in modern times.