Dr Olujoke Fakoya is a Research Fellow at PHIRST Connect. Her research interests centre upon improving the mental health and wellbeing of the population. She graduated with a first-class undergraduate degree in Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University and recently completed a PhD in Public Health which was obtained at Queen’s University Belfast. Her PhD thesis explored community-based interventions aimed at alleviating loneliness and social isolation among older people. Her key areas of expertise include: Realist evaluation methodology, theory-based evaluations of community-based initiatives, qualitative research, behaviour change, mental health and wellbeing, loneliness and social isolation.