Dr Judith Barbaro-Brown

Assistant Principal, Grey College, Durham University

After qualifying from Durham School of Podiatric Medicine in 1989, Judith worked in the NHS for around ten years before returning to Durham School of Podiatric Medicine as a Lecturer, during which time she set up a national CPD delivery project which was the largest in the UK.

In 2007 she moved to lecture on Phase One Medicine at Durham University, being directly involved in the education of under-graduate medical students. During this time she also worked with the Department of Health on the project to introduce independent prescribing for Podiatrists and Physiotherapists in 2013. In 2015 Judith led the Interdisciplinary Health CPD team at York St John University. In 2017 she helped set up the International Study Centre at Durham University, and in 2019 went on to be part of the Senior Leadership Team who set up the new medical school at Sunderland University.

Since 2021 she has been Assistant Principal at Grey College, Durham University, leading wellbeing and student support in the college. During her career she has delivered health-related education internationally, co-authored a number of text books, is regularly invited to speak at conferences and seminars around the UK and Internationally, and has won a number of awards for her development of educational opportunities. Her interests focus on understanding influences on health and wellbeing, and the impact of these on patient management. Outside of work her interests are travel, gardening, chocolate, and theatre.

Lifestyle Diseases – Passing Fad or a Concerning Reality?

Lifestyle diseases – also known as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – are a real, leading global health threat.

This session brings together many of the challenges currently facing healthcare, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, liver disease and substance abuse (although there are many others). These conditions are increasing in prevalence worldwide and are estimated to cost trillions by 2030, although this is a conservative estimate.

Social inequality, the influence of social media, an ageing population, the development of novel drug treatments, and the impact of ‘personal choice’ will be explored, together with a discussion of how these will impact on patient management now and in the future.