Q&A with Professor Mark Green
Read our interview with 2025 Back Award recipient, Professor Mark Green.
Professor Mark Green is the recipient of the Back Award in recognition of sustained and outstanding contributions to policy development through research.
You'll find your voice on your own terms and build meaningful relationships by being genuine with others.Mark Green
What did you want to be, or where did you want to work, when you were a teenager?
"I did not really know what I wanted to do. I was the first Green to go to University and the opportunity was seen as a dream rather than an expectation.
"My parents once told me to aim high and look to work on the counter in a bank - for them that was a good job because it was indoors and didn't involve manual labour. I still don't think my dad sees what I do as a 'real' job!"
What role do you do now and how would you describe your work?
"I am currently Professor of Health Geography at the University of Liverpool. My job includes a diversity of tasks - from teaching students on our Geography programmes, mentoring colleagues or early career staff, to designing and leading research projects, as well as supporting the evidence needs of local and national government."
How did you get into this field of work?
"By accident! I was in the right place at the right time - the University of Sheffield made some additional funding for a Masters degree and then a PhD which I was fortunate to receive.
"I didn't want to be become an academic at all - it was only because I happened to spend some time in USA during my PhD that opened my eyes to how rewarding it could be to be a researcher."
What has been the highlight of your career, regardless of how big or small, so far?
"I was fortunate to be involved in a series of national policy efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic including the trialling and roll-out of lateral flow testing, re-opening of large cultural events and supporting vaccination uptake. It gave me the reassurance and confidence that what I do makes a real-world difference."
What projects are you working on right now?
"My work investigates how places influence our health and wellbeing - we are doing this through a range of projects including how outdoor food marketing influences dietary choices, how green spaces affects our wellbeing, and evaluating strategies at encouraging influenza vaccination."
What do you wish you had learned earlier in your career?
"Take your time and saying 'no' is a powerful word. I used to be in such a rush to get where I wanted to go, that it wasn't until just before the pandemic that I realised that I work better when I slow down - quality over quantity.
"And it is ok to be shy. You'll find your voice on your own terms and build meaningful relationships by being genuine with others."
Do you have any advice for someone wanting to go into your field?
"Reach out to as many stakeholders as possible, no matter how big or small, and ask how you can make a difference to them. You'll be surprised just how many will jump at the opportunity to work with you, as well as how rewarding it can be."
What legacy do you hope you鈥檒l leave?
"That civic engagement is a valuable part of being a geographer and geographers make meaningful differences to society."
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