Professor Wilkinson

Richard G. Wilkinson is a British social epidemiologist whose research has focused on the links between health, inequality, and the wider social environment. He studied economic history at the London School of Economics before training in epidemiology, and he later held senior academic roles including Emeritus Professor of Public Health at the University of Nottingham and Honorary Professor at University College London.

Across his career, Wilkinson has argued that the gap between rich and poor affects much more than income alone. His studies and public writing helped popularize the idea that more unequal societies tend to experience worse health and a wider range of social problems. That work made him an influential voice in discussions about public health and social policy.

He is widely known as the co-author, with Kate Pickett, of The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. The book reached an international audience and sparked broad debate among researchers, policymakers, and general readers, helping establish Wilkinson as one of the best-known writers on inequality and health.