Ngan has been recognised for her outstanding paper exploring the relationship between green spaces and health inequalities across the UK. 

This study represents the first UK-wide analysis to examine how green space is distributed across more and less deprived urban neighbourhoods, and how this relates to preventable mortality. Using national data from nearly 9,000 neighbourhoods, the research revealed clear inequalities: in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the most deprived areas had significantly less green space. 

Importantly, the analysis found that even a 1% increase in green space within an area was associated with 37% fewer annual preventable deaths in England, and 37% and 41% fewer five-year accumulated preventable deaths in Northern Ireland and Scotland, respectively. 

The findings highlight how investing in green spaces, particularly in disadvantaged communities, could be a powerful and cost-effective strategy to improve health and reduce inequalities across the UK. By identifying where green space is most needed and the lives that could be saved, this research provides clear, practical evidence to guide urban planning and public health policy. 

Awarding Ngan with the prize, Professor Alan Smyth, Dean and Head of School for Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, said:  

"I was excited to read this paper by Ngan Tran because it shows an actionable pathway to improving the health outcomes for people living with economic disadvantage. Her work should guide politicians and policymakers to make modest investments which can really pay off in improving the lives of vulnerable communities in Northern Ireland." 

The paper, titled “Inequality in green space distribution and its association with preventable deaths across urban neighbourhoods in the UK, stratified by Index of Multiple Deprivation”, was published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 

You can read the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-222485