Dr Helen Hoyle is a Lecturer in Healthy Urban Landscapes in the School of Architecture and Landscape at the University of Sheffield and a NIHR School for Public Health Transdisciplinary Research Fellow in the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research.
Helen's research lies at the intersection of nature and human wellbeing, informing policy and practice to prioritise biodiversity and wellbeing in the context of a changing climate. She believes passionately in collaborating closely with those who juggle these priorities on the ground. Much of her research involves introducing nature-based interventions in partnership with policymakers, practitioners, and communities, and measuring the impacts. She is currently working part of a large multidisciplinary partnership led by Luton Borough Council, awarded a £1M grant by the highly competitive Natural England Nature Towns and Cities Heritage Lottery Fund. This project ‘Roots to healthy places: nature connections in Luton’ will focus on improving health, access and connections to nature across communities, with a particular focus on communities already identified as facing barriers to access.
Helen is a member of the Adaptation Committee of the Irish Climate Change Advisory Council where she shares expertise in nature-based solutions and biodiversity.