Dr Charlotte Featherstone

Charlotte is a Research Fellow based in the European Centre for Environment and Human Health and joined the University of Exeter in May 2025 to work on the Cornwall Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) funded by NIHR. The project aims to build research capacity in Cornwall and set up partnerships focused on reducing health inequalities, attending to specific local needs relevant to Cornwall, including delivering research training across sectors and promoting the use of evidence-based practice in local decision-making.

Charlotte's academic background is in health psychology and health services research. Charlotte's PhD, funded by NIHR, explored how social prescribing can be adapted to be more inclusive for autistic adults and reduce health inequalities, as a care pathway that enables individuals to be referred to support in their local community to improve their wellbeing. The research employed a mixed methods approach to explore barriers faced by autistic adults in accessing primary care pathways and attitudes towards social prescribing as a solution to managing health and wellbeing, leading to recommendations for service design and policy. Alongside this work, Charlotte worked for autism research charity Autistica in policy and research partnership management. Charlotte also has experience of working in clinical, research and administrative roles within NHS services, including in respiratory health, pain management, learning disabilities and dementia, including delivering behavioural interventions, group psychological therapy approaches and technology-integrated care solutions. 

Charlotte's research interests are healthcare accessibility and inclusion, particularly focused around neurodivergence and disability; social determinants of health; nature-based approaches; and psychological mechanisms driving health-related behaviour and service delivery. Charlotte has experience of using qualitative and quantitative methods to explore research questions.