Mr Tim Walker

Tim is a Research Fellow at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), a social geographer by training with expertise in qualitative methods. Tim is engaged in collaborative, interdisciplinary, and impactful research projects, working with the social housing sector, voluntary organisations, and healthcare sectors at both local and national levels.

Tim's current research centers on evaluating the feasibility and societal benefits of home environment sensor systems to enhance health outcomes in the social housing sector. A key aspect of this work is the integration of co-design and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) to ensure that the systems are tailored to the needs of the community.

Career

Graduate Studies: Tim earned his BA in Geography from Swansea University in 2008, followed by an MSc in Rural Social Science Research (accredited by ESRC) at Newcastle University's Centre for Rural Economy. During his time there, he contributed to research projects in collaboration with organisations like the Northern Rural Network, Campaign to Protect Rural England, and Durham Rural Community Council.

Doctoral Studies: In 2011, Tim pursued his PhD studies at Exeter University under an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded studentship as part of the South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC) partnership. Based in the Geography department on the Cornwall campus, his research focused on understanding the risks and uncertainties in catchment management and how environmental partnerships navigate them. Tim played a pivotal role in coordinating the Loe Pool Forum environmental partnership from 2016 to 2020 and authored the Catchment Management Plan as part of his doctoral work.

Postdoctoral Work: After completing his PhD, Tim engaged in diverse research and impact-oriented projects with Cornwall's voluntary, healthcare, and digital sectors. His work involved collaborating with Volunteer Cornwall to enhance volunteer recruitment, training, and retention strategies. Additionally, he partnered with Age UK to explore and test innovative digital mapping solutions for the community transport sector. Tim's efforts in these areas led to his role as a Research Fellow on the Smartline project.

Research Fellow: Tim served as a Research Fellow on the Smartline project, a collaborative research and innovation program led by the University of Exeter in partnership with Coastline Housing, Cornwall Council, South West Academic Health Science Network (SWAHSN), and Volunteer Cornwall. The project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Cornwall Council. In this role, Tim's primary responsibility was to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in developing new products, services, and processes to enhance people’s health and wellbeing. He also led several research studies on volunteering, digital inclusion, and the feasibility of sensor systems to improve homes and health in social housing.

Current Position: Presently, Tim is actively involved in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded SenseWell project. This project focuses on conducting a feasibility study concerning the use of home environment sensor systems to enhance independent living services.