Staff Profile

I am a public health researcher currently working between the Evidence Synthesis team and the NIHR Innovation Observatory in the Population Health Sciences Institute. I also work 0.5 FTE as a fellow in the Enabling Methodologies theme of the Applied Research Collaboration (North East and North Cumbria).



Whilst I currently work on a range of projects in the field of health and public health, previously, health inequalities have underpinned my research at Newcastle. I look to identify patterns and explain variations in health outcomes at a range of spatial scales. Having completed my PhD at Durham University, I moved to Cambridge to complete my PGCE in secondary geography. After teaching in a variety of schools, I returned to research and worked for the active travel charity Sustrans, analysing large and complex datasets. I returned to the Department of Geography at Durham in June 2012 working as a research associate on an ESRC funded project trialling two school-based interventions to improve physical activity and mental health amongst adolescents. I also was a post-doctoral researcher funded by Norface was entitled 'Health Inequalities in European Welfare States' (HiNews: PI Clare Bambra). This involved the completion of three umbrella systematic reviews looking at public health, social policy and pharmacy-led interventions to improve health and health inequalities. The project also documented the extent of health inequalities in Europe using the European Social Survey (2014).

Google Scholar

SCOPUS 

• Articles

  • Moradi N, O'Connor N, Thomson KH, Shabaninejad H, Sotire T, Still M, Fernandez-Garcia C, Wallace SA, Williams O, Vale L, Sagoo GS. NICE Approaches to Expert Opinion Evidence in Highly Specialised Technologies: Time to Change? Evidence Assessment Group Perspective. PharmacoEconomics 2024, epub ahead of print.
  • Ray D, Thomson KH, Beyer FR, Williams O, Stoniute A, Arisa O, Vlaev I, Oliver EJ, Kelly MP. Effectiveness of public messaging within the gambling domain: A systematic review. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 2024, epub ahead of print.
  • Fong M, Kenny RPW, Thomson K, Jesurasa A, Lavans A, Patterson M, Sermin-Reed L, Nguyen G, Aquino MRJ, Cullen E, O'Keefe H, Moffat M, Heslehurst N. Effectiveness and implementation of lower-intensity weight management interventions delivered by the non-specialist workforce in postnatal women: a mixed-methods systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health 2024, 12, 1359680.
  • Coughlan D, Arisa O, Thomson K, Yu G, Pearson F, Kernohan A, Garcia Gonzalez-Moral S, Wallace S, Rice S. Disease Severity Modifier in the NICE Single Technology Appraisal of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan: External Assessment Group Perspective. PharmacoEconomics 2024, 42, 5-9.
  • Kunonga TP, Thomson KH, Beyer FR, Dawson S, Brittain K, Craig D. A Mixed Methods Systematic Review of the Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Feasibility of Advanced Care Plans for Older Adults Without Life-Limiting Conditions. Journal of Long-term Care 2024, 383-402.
  • Sacre A, Bambra C, Wildman JM, Thomson K, Bennett N, Sowden S, Todd A. Socioeconomic inequalities in vaccine uptake: A global umbrella review. PLoS ONE 2023, 18, e0294688.
  • Tanner LM, Wildman JM, Stoniute A, Still M, Bernard K, Green R, Eastaugh CH, Thomson KH, Sowden S. Non-pharmaceutical primary care interventions to improve mental health in deprived populations: a systematic review. British Journal of General Practice 2023, 73(729), e242-e248.
  • Fu M, Yu Ge, Maulana N, Thomson K. Interventions to tackle health inequalities in cardiovascular risks for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations: a rapid review. British Medical Bulletin 2023, ldad025.
  • Bernard K, Wildman JM, Tanner LM, Stoniute A, Still M, Green R, Eastaugh C, Sowden S, Thomson KH. Experiences of non-pharmaceutical primary care interventions for common mental health disorders in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups: a systematic review of qualitative studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2023, 20(7), 5237.
  • O'Connor N, Thomson KH, Gill S, Jackson S, Wallace SA, Pearson F. A rapid priority setting exercise combining existing, emergent evidence with stakeholder knowledge identified broad topic uncertainties. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2023, 154, P178-187.
  • Bingpong K, Thomson K, McNamara CL, Besnier E, Balaj M, Ahkter N, Bambra C, Todd A. The Gender Pain Gap: The gender gap in pain in 19 European countries. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2022, 50(2), 287-294.
  • Sacre A, Bambra C, Wildman JM, Thomson K, Sowden S, Todd A. Socioeconomic Inequalities and Vaccine Uptake: An Umbrella Review Protocol. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11172.
  • Thomson KH, O'Connor N, Dangova KT, Gill S, Jackson S, Bliss DZ, Wallace SA, Pearson F. Rapid priority setting exercise on faecal incontinence for Cochrane Incontinence. BMJ Open Gastroenterology 2022, 9, e000847.
  • Thomson K, Rice S, Arisa O, Johnson E, Tanner L, Marshall C, Sotire T, Richmond C, O'Keefe H, Mohammed W, Gosney M, Raffle A, Hanratty B, McEvoy CT, Craig D, Ramsay SE. Oral nutritional interventions in frail older people who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition: a systematic review. Health Technology Assessment 2022, 26(51).
  • Thomson KH, Dangova K, Bliss DZ, Wallace S, O'Connor N, Richter HE, Pearson F. Future developments and new technologies in the field of faecal incontinence: scanning the horizon using late-stage clinical trial registrations. BMJ Innovations 2022, 8(4), 278-284.
  • Thomson KH, Rice S, Arisa O, Johnson E, Tanner L, Marshall C, Sotire T, Richmond C, O'Keefe H, Mohammed W, Raffle A, Hanratty B, McEvoy CT, Craig D, Ramsay SE. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of oral nutritional supplements in frail older people who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Healthy Longevity 2022, 3(10), E654-E666.
  • Besnier E, Thomson K, Stonkute D, Mohammad T, Akhter N, Todd A, Rom Jensen M, Kilvik A, Bambra C. Which public health interventions are effective in reducing morbidity, mortality and health inequalities from infectious diseases amongst children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): an umbrella review. PLoS ONE 2021, 16(6), e0251905.
  • Tanner L, Sowden S, Still M, Thomson K, Bambra C, Wildman J. Which Non-Pharmaceutical Primary Care Interventions Reduce Inequalities in Common Mental Health Disorders? A Protocol for a Systematic Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18(24), 12978.
  • Thomson K, Moffat M, Arisa O, Jesurasa A, Richmond C, Odeniyi A, Bambra C, Rankin J, Brown H, Bishop J, Wing S, McNaughton A, Heslehurst N. Socioeconomic inequalities and adverse pregnancy outcomes in the UK and Republic of Ireland: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open 2021, 11, e042753.
  • Tanner L, Thomson K, Drake MJ, Ervin CF, Bower WF, Pearson F. Behavioural interventions for nocturia in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, 2020(9), CD013746.
  • Thomson K, Berry R, Robinson T, Brown H, Bambra C, Todd A. An examination of trends in antibiotic prescribing in primary care and the association with area-level deprivation in England. BMC Public Health 2020, 20, 1148.
  • Nazar H, Evans C, Kyei N, Lindsey L, Nazar Z, Thomson K, Yeung A, Todd A. A service evaluation and stakeholder perspectives of an innovative digital minor illness referral service from NHS 111 to community pharmacy. PLoS ONE 2020, 15(3), e0230343.
  • Besnier E, Thomson K, Stonkute D, Mohammad T, Akhter N, Todd A, Jensen MR, Kilvik A, Bambra C. Which public health interventions are effective in reducing morbidity, mortality and health inequalities from infectious diseases amongst children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): protocol for an umbrella review. BMJ Open 2019, 9(12), e032981.
  • Todd A, McNamara CL, Balaj M, Huijts T, Akhter N, Thomson K, Kasim A, Eikemo TA, Bambra C. The European epidemic: Pain prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities in pain across 19 European countries. European Journal of Pain 2019, 23(8), 1425-1436.
  • Hillier-Brown F, Thomson K, McGowan V, Cairns J, Eikemo T, Gil-González D, Bambra C. The effects of social protection policies on health inequalities: Evidence from systematic reviews. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2019, 47(6), 655-665.
  • Thomson K, Hillier-Brown F, Walton N, Bilaj M, Bambra C, Todd A. The effects of community pharmacy delivered public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: a review of reviews. Preventive Medicine 2019, 124, 98-109.
  • Smith D, Thomson K, Bambra C, Todd A. The breast cancer paradox: a systematic review of the association between area-level deprivation and breast cancer screening uptake in Europe. Cancer Epidemiology 2019, 60, 77-85.
  • Niedzwiedz C, Thomson K, Bambra C, Pearce J. Regional employment and individual worklessness during the Great Recession and the health of the working-age population: Cross-national analysis of 16 European countries. Social Science & Medicine 2019, 267, 112377.
  • McMahon N, Thomson K, Kaner E, Bambra C. Effects of prevention and harm reduction interventions on gambling behaviours and gambling related harm: an umbrella review. Addictive Behaviors 2019, 90, 380-388.
  • Thomson K, Hillier-Brown F, McNamarra C, Todd A, Huijits T, Bambra C. The effects of public health policies on health inequalities in high-income countries: an umbrella review. BMC Public Health 2018, 18, 869.
  • Graham E, Thomson K, Bambra C. The association between diabetes and depressive symptoms varies by quality of diabetes care across Europe. European Journal of Public Health 2018, 28(5), 872-878.
  • Todd A, Thomson K, Kasim A, Bambra C. Cutting care clusters: the creation of an inverse pharmacy care law? An area level analysis exploring the clustering of community pharmacies in England. BMJ Open 2018, 8(7), e022109.
  • Thomson K, Hillier-Brown F. Can we reduce inequalities through public health policies?. Journal of Health Visiting 2018, 6(11), 534-536.
  • McNamara CL, Balaj M, Thomson KH, Eikemo TA, Solheim EF, Bambra C. The socioeconomic distribution of non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health 2017, 27(Suppl. 1), 22-26.
  • Hillier-Brown F, Bambra C, Thomson K, Balaj M, Walton N, Todd A. The effects of community pharmacy public health interventions on population health and health inequalities: a systematic review of reviews protocol. Systematic Reviews 2017, 6, 176.
  • McNamara CL, Balaj M, Thomson KH, Eikemo TA, Bambra C. The contribution of housing and neighborhood conditions to educational inequalities in non-communicable diseases in Europe: findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health 2017, 27(Suppl. 1), 102-106.
  • Thomson KH, Renneberg AC, McNamara CL, Akhter N, Reibling N, Bambra C. Regional inequalities in self-reported conditions and non-communicable diseases in European countries: Findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health 2017, 27(Suppl. 1), 14-21.
  • Huijts T, Gkiouleka A, Reibling N, Thomson KH, Eikemo TA, Bambra C. Educational inequalities in risky health behaviours in 21 European countries: Findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health 2017, 27(Suppl. 1), 63-72.
  • Reibling N, Beckfield J, Huijts T, Schmidt-Catran A, Thomson KH, Wendt C. Depressed during the depression: has the economic crisis affected mental health inequalities in Europe? Findings from the European Social Survey (2014) special module on the determinants of health. European Journal of Public Health 2017, 27(Suppl. 1), 47-54.
  • Thomson K, Bambra C, McNamara C, Huijits T, Todd A. The effects of public health policies on population health and health inequalities in European welfare states: protocol for an umbrella review. Systematic Reviews 2016, 5, 57.
  • Tymms PB, Curtis SE, Routen AC, Thomson KH, Bolden DS, Bock S, Dunn CE, Cooper AR, Elliott JG, Moore HJ, Summerbell CD, Tiffin PA, Kasim AS. Clustered randomised controlled trial of two education interventions designed to increase physical activity and well-being of secondary school students: the MOVE Project. BMJ Open 2016, 6(1), e009318.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • O'Connor N, Thomson K, Dangova K, Gill S, Wallace S, Jackson S, Pearson F. OP32 A Multistep Multistakeholder Priority Setting Exercise For Fecal Incontinence. In: Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi) 2022. 2022, Utrecht, the Netherlands: Cambridge University Press.
  • Thomson K, Hillier-Brown F, Todd A, McNamara C, Huijits T, Bambra C. The effects of public health policies on health inequalities - a review of reviews. In: Lancet Public Health Conference. 2017, London, UK.
  • Todd A, Hillier-Brown F, Thomson K, Balaj M, Walton N, Bambra C. The effects of community pharmacy public health interventions on health and health inequalities. In: 10th European Public Health Conference. 2017, Stockholm, Sweden: Oxford Academic.

• Reports

  • Thomson K, O'Connor N, Shabaninejad H, Sotire T, Still M, Moradi N, Fernandez-Garcia C, Wallace SA, Williams O, Vale L, Sagoo G. Highly Specialised Technology appraisal - Sebelipase alfa for treating Wolman disease (rapidly progressive LAL-D) [ID3995]. Manchester: Newcastle Technology Assessment Review (TAR) group, 2023.
  • Bambra C, Thomson K. Reducing inequities in health across the life-course: Transition to independent living – Young adults. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2019. Reducing inequities in health across the life-course.