Prof Ruth Garside is a social science researcher specialising in systematic review and evidence synthesis.

She has over 20 years’ experience using quantitative and qualitative research methods to investigate a range of health and social care questions. Her work has informed policy customers including WHO, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Home Office.

Prof Garside is particularly interested in using a broad range of evidence to investigate complex public health issues and has a particular interest in methods of synthesis for qualitative research.  She coordinates evidence synthesis across the streams of ECEHH research and develops these methods within environment and human health.

• Co-Chair of the Methods Group for Campbell Collaboration.
• Exeter lead for the UK Centre of the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence.
• Convenor for the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods group.
• Core member of GRADE-CERQual , developing approaches to help researchers and policy makers assess the confidence to place in the findings of Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.  Key paper here.

Systematic reviews exploring interconnections between the environment and health include:

• The impact of gardens for people with dementia in care homes.
• The health and wellbeing impact of school gardens.
• The health and wellbeing impact of participating in conservation activities.
• The risk of acquiring infections from recreational exposure to seawater.

Working with a range of international colleagues, Ruth is part of an evidence-based conservation working group . This project examined the links between conservation activities and human health. It has produced a searchable evidence map of the current evidence base documenting linkages between nature conservation and human health outcomes, more detail is available here.

She is also committed to public and patient involvement in research and founder of HEPE, a network of people from across Cornwall who contribute to research  projects at the Centre.