John Newton is part-time Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health and Sport Science.

John is a public health physician who has been an academic epidemiologist in the University of Oxford, Director of Research and Development in two large teaching hospitals, and a Regional Director of Public Health in the NHS. He was until recently Director of Public Health Analysis in the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care. During the pandemic, he was appointed special adviser to the Secretary of State on testing for coronavirus.

He was the first Director and CEO of the UK Biobank project based in the University of Manchester where he still holds an honorary professorship.  Until its abolition in 2021, he was Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England (PHE), responsible for the information, intelligence and research functions of PHE and its national health improvement functions – including screening, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, health and justice, diet, obesity and physical activity, mental health and sexual health. He led England’s contribution to reporting the internationally acclaimed Global Burden of Disease project, based in the University of Washington, and remains a member of it’s International Scientific Council.

John has been a Garden Fellow at the Royal College of Physicians since 2012, was Vice President of the UK Faculty of Public Health from 2019 to 2022, is Chair of the external Scientific Advisory Board of Sante publique France and a Board Member of the Saudi Arabian Public Health Agency.