Rachel Pechey
PhD
Associate Professor
Behavioural scientist focused on healthier, sustainable and equitable food purchasing and consumption
I lead the Food Purchasing theme in the Sustainable Healthy Food Group. My research interests include exploring the effectiveness of different interventions that alter aspects of the physical micro-environment (also known as 'choice architecture' or nudges) to improve the healthiness and sustainability of diets. I am interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying the impact of such interventions, and their potential impact on health inequalities.
I am currently working on a Wellcome Trust & Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship, which aims to establish the extent to which evidence from interventions to support healthier diets can inform interventions to create urgently needed sustainable diets. Evidence from interventions targeting unhealthy diets could help quickly narrow down our choice of interventions to increase sustainable food selections. However, we need to ensure that the effectiveness of interventions does not change when targeting sustainability. We also want to identify interventions that work for those in all socioeconomic positions, so these do not increase inequalities.
Recent publications
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Testing the effect of ecolabels on the environmental impact of food purchases in worksite cafeterias: a randomised controlled trial
Journal article
Luick M. et al, (2025), BMC public health, 25
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Healthy eating interventions conducted in small, local restaurants and hot food takeaways: A systematic review
Journal article
Jostock C. et al, (2025), Public Health Nutrition
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Do calorie labels change energy purchased in a simulated online food delivery platform? A multi-arm randomised controlled trial
Journal article
Luick M. et al, (2024), International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21
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Do promotions of healthier or more sustainable foods increase sales? Findings from three natural experiments in UK supermarkets
Journal article
Luick M. et al, (2024), BMC Public Health, 24
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The impact of the English calorie labelling policy on the energy content of food offered and purchased in worksite cafeterias: a natural experiment
Journal article
Luick M. et al, (2024), BMC Nutrition, 10