I lead a research programme aimed at improving child and adolescent health at Imperial. Over the past year my group has been part of the Imperial Covid-19 response team and identified major disruptions to child health including routine vaccination and asthma care. We also launched a study examining physical activity and health of primary school children. As newly elected President for Child health for the European public health association I am co leading two campaigns this year to increase childhood vaccination and a UNESCO plan to reopen schools safely.

Professor Barbara Starfield was a huge inspiration to me and perhaps the most influential figure to champion primary care and health inequalities. I had the pleasure of reaching out to her while she was alive and still find her ideas are relevant to challenges of today.

During the first lockdown we became an NHS family - my husband was covering covid wards, I was working in general practice, my son and daughter delivered medications for our practice pharmacy for our shielding patients. I also rediscovered the joy of David Bowie and my daughter, having dusted off and restrung my old guitar, persuaded me to reincarnate the band.

Read more about Professor Sonia Saxena's work here.