Richard Wilkinson

Richard Wilkinson is professor emeritus of social epidemiology at the University of Nottingham Medical School, honorary professor at University College London, and a visiting professor at the University of York. He has played a formative role in international research on the social determinants of health and on the societal effects of income inequality. With Kate Pickett, Wilkinson is the co-founder of The Equality Trust, an independent, evidence-based campaign working to reduce income inequality in order to improve quality of life in the UK. Together with Pickett he is co-author of The Spirit Level: Why Equality Is Better for Everyone (2009). Through this work, Wilkinson has compiled a brilliant archive of data on the ways in which inequality gaps breed social problems including increased drop-out rates, health concerns, crime, violence, and lack of voting.