Sarah Lewington

Sarah Lewington is an epidemiologist and statistician. She is also Scientific Director for the MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology and Director of Graduate Studies for taught courses. She also co-leads the HDR UK Oxford Region Molecules to Health Records programme. 

Sarah's main research interest is in major risk factors for premature adult mortality (particularly tobacco, alcohol, blood pressure and obesity) in low- and middle- income countries. The aim of the Global Population Studies Group is to support and build the local capacity required to conduct epidemiological studies in low-resourced settings.

Such studies generate the reliable epidemiological evidence from diverse populations required to inform national and global health strategies for cost-effective control of non-communicable diseases. Over the past 20 years, the group has developed several international collaborations and is the Oxford-based lead for studies conducted in Russia, Cuba and India, involving 1.25 million participants. 

Sarah is Co-Chair of the World Health Organization's Reference Group on Health Statistics (WHO RGHS). With recent developments in global health and an increased focus on monitoring and accountability, the Reference Group was renewed in 2019 to ensure that WHO and its Member States continue to benefit from the best possible scientific and strategic advice and support in the generation, use, interpretation, and dissemination of global health statistics.

She graduated in Mathematics and Statistics from Leicester University in 1988 and spent 5 years working as a medical statistician in the pharmaceutical industry before returning to university to study for an MSc in Applied Statistics at Southampton University.

She came to Oxford University to co-ordinate the Prospective Studies Collaboration in 1995 and gained her DPhil in Epidemiology in 1999. In 2016, Sarah was elected as a Research Fellow at Green Templeton College.