SIPHER in a Nutshell
SIPHER develops complex systems modelling for public policy to reduce inequalities and improve health and wellbeing. To share more about our work – who is in the team, what methods we use and the policy areas that we are focusing on – we have developed a short animated explainer video.
Please share the video, which is also available through our website, with any of your colleagues who would like to find out more about SIPHER.
Exploring our SIPHER Methods
SIPHER has eight interconnected workstrands, as illustrated in our SIPHER Wheel.
Each workstrand makes a distinct and important contribution to our process for modelling complex public policy systems. A summary of the focus of each workstrand and the lead researcher(s) is available here.

For colleagues who would like to explore the methods used in each workstrand further, we have produced a more detailed explanation of our work in this SIPHER Brochure. The Brochure describes what each SIPHER workstand is about, the methods involved, and what we hope to achieve in the coming years. We also highlight key interdependencies between workstrands.
SIPHER Director Petra Meier
Last week our SIPHER Director Professor Petra Meier moved to the University of Glasgow to lead a new programme of systems science research in the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit.
The move creates an opportunity to build on and extend our current work in SIPHER. We are excited about the new possibilities this will bring and look forward to welcoming new colleagues to our SIPHER Team.
Recent Blogs

We are continuing to share SIPHER thinking on key topics of interest through our SIPHER Blog.
Recent posts include:
- A reflection on the inequality implications of Covid-19 and opportunities to hardwire consideration of inequalities and their impact on health and wellbeing into wider decision-making processes.
- Learning from our recent experience of conducting a virtual participatory systems mapping exercise to understanding the inclusive growth system in Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
To find out about our latest blogs as soon as they are released follow us on Twitter.
New SIPHER Collaboration with the University of Plymouth
We are delighted to share that we have secured funding to collaborate with colleagues at the University of Plymouth on ‘Intervention development for community-based self-referred social prescribing’. Funded through the MRC’s Public Health Intervention Development Scheme, SIPHER is joining the collaboration to lead systems mapping activity. The project will begin in autumn 2020.
Recent Publications
SIPHER colleagues have been busy in recent months supporting the response to Covid-19. Recent Covid-19 related works authored by SIPHER team members include:
- Call for transparency of COVID-19 models with Sheffield City Council colleague Chris Gibbons
- The COVID-19 pandemic and health inequalities with University of Newcastle colleague Clare Bambra.
All SIPHER publications are available on our website.