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Professor Anjum Memon

Professor Anjum Memon (MBBS, DPhil [Oxon], FFPH)

Chair in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine
E: A.Memon@bsms.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1273 644442
Location: Watson Building, University of Brighton, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9PH

DA: Sonia Khan
01273 644143
PrimaryCareDA@bsms.ac.uk

Area of expertise: Chronic disease epidemiology and public health. Applied health service research (public health service development and evaluation)

Research areas: Cancer epidemiology; diabetes mellitus; mental health and wellbeing; suicide prevention; drug and alcohol use; smoking cessation

Other relevant positions: Honorary Consultant in Public Health Medicine; Discipline Lead in Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine (BSMS); INSPIRE Programme Lead (BSMS); Lead for Academic Public Health Training (BSMS); Regional Specialist Lead for Appraisal (OHID); External Examiner for Epidemiology/Public Health Medicine (University of Manchester and National University of Ireland - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Biography

Professor Anjum Memon is a medically qualified epidemiologist and public health academic. He trained in epidemiology at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Sir Richard Doll FRS – the eminent epidemiologist who discovered the main hazards of smoking. Anjum joined BSMS in 2005, having previously worked at the Universities of Oxford, Kuwait and Cambridge. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and an Honorary Consultant in Public Health Medicine.

Along with teaching, research and public health service work, Anjum contributes to capacity building, training and quality assurance activities in public health. These roles include: Faculty Assessor for appointments of consultants, Part A MFPH Examiner; Public Health England Appraiser for consultants and GMC revalidation; Academic Supervisor for public health trainees and junior doctors; External Examiner at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; Chair of the Organising Committee for the 57th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Social Medicine; and member of the International Scientific Committee, European Public Health Association.

Research

Epidemiology underpins public health and clinical medicine – it provides evidence to protect, restore and promote health, and to tackle major chronic diseases and public health issues. Anjum has an extensive portfolio of research and scholarship in epidemiology of chronic diseases (e.g, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular/gastrointestinal diseases) and public health issues in the population (e.g, cancer awareness, smoking cessation, drug and alcohol use, community mental health and wellbeing, and suicide prevention).

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Teaching

Anjum leads the teaching of epidemiology and public health medicine at BSMS. He leads curriculum development (as core and interdisciplinary vertical theme), teaching and assessment of the discipline in the Five-year BM BS undergraduate programme.

He teaches epidemiological concepts and study designs to medical and postgraduate students, clinicians and allied health professionals.

As a member of the Public Health Educators in Medical Schools (PHEMS) network, he contributed to the development of the ‘Undergraduate Public Health Curriculum for the UK Medical Schools’.

He supervises fourth-year medical students (Individual Research Projects), postgraduate students (Master’s, MD and PhD degrees), public health trainees and junior doctors.

Selected publications

Memon A, Salari Y, Bawa M, Zakikhani P. Increasing incidence of early-onset kidney cancer in young adults aged <50 years in England: an analysis of the national cancer registration data by age and gender, 1985-2020. Br J Cancer Reports. 2025; 14;3(1):32. DOI: 10.1038/s44276-025-00149-y

Lara-Castor L, O'Hearn M, Cudhea F, et al. Global Dietary Database (Memon A). Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries. Nature Medicine. 2025; 31(2):552-564. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4

Miller V, Webb P, Cudhea F, et al. Global Dietary Database (Memon A). Children's and adolescents' rising animal-source food intakes in 1990-2018 were impacted by age, region, parental education and urbanicity. Nature Food. 2023; 4(4):305-319. DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00731-y

Pirkis J, Gunnell D, Shin S, (Memon A) et al. Suicide numbers during the first 9-15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-existing trends: An interrupted time series analysis in 33 countries. EClinicalMedicine (Lancet Discovery Science). 2022; 2;51:101573. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101573

Memon A, Bannister P, Rogers I, et al. Changing epidemiology and age-specific incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma in England: An analysis of the national cancer registration data by age, gender and anatomical site, 1981-2018. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021; 6;2:100024. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100024

Memon A, Rogers I, Fitzsimmons S, et al. Association between naturally occurring lithium in drinking water and suicide rates: systematic review and meta-analysis of ecological studies. Br J Psychiatry. 2020; 217(6):667-678. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2020.128

Memon A, Rogers I, Paudyal P, Sundin J. Dental x-rays and the risk of thyroid cancer and meningioma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of current epidemiological evidence. Thyroid. 2019; 29(11):1572-1593. DOI: 10.1089/thy.2019.0105

Memon A and El-Turki A. Epidemiology of gynaecological cancers. Book chapter in Gynaecological Oncology for the MRCOG. Shafi MI et al. (Eds.). Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Memon A, Taylor K, Mohebati LM, et al. Perceived barriers to accessing mental health services among black and minority ethnic (BME) communities: a qualitative study in Southeast England. BMJ Open. 2016; 16;6(11):e012337. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012337

Memon A, Godward S, Williams D, et al. Dental x-rays and the risk of thyroid cancer: a case-control study. Acta Oncologica. 2010; 49(4):447-53. DOI: 10.3109/02841861003705778

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