Louise Holly

Supervisors: Prof. Sara (Meg) Davis and Prof. Sharifah Sekalala

Research Interests: Digital determinants of health and well-being, global public health, child rights

Background

Louise Holly is Policy and Research Coordinator at the Digital Transformations for Health Lab hosted (University of Geneva). She has worked with NGOs, UN agencies and national policymakers for over 20 years to advance the health and rights of children, adolescents and youth. Louise’s work focuses addressing the digital determinants of health and strengthening governance of digital transformations to deliver more equitable health benefits.

Research

Subject area

PhD Working title: Shifting social norms around technology use to protect children from digital harms

Research Topic: My research will investigate how social norms and external pressures around technology use shape children’s attitudes, behaviours and exposure to digital harms. I will explore how children’s motivations to use digital devices and spend time online are influenced by the digital habits they observe around them, perceived social norms around smartphone and social media use, and expectations from influential actors, including schools, that children should conduct activities through digital devices. The findings from this project will offer insights for public health responses to protect children from digital harms.

Publications

Holly L, Kickbusch I. (2025) Governing Digital Transformations for Health. In: Marent B, editor. De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Health and Society. De Gruyter; In press.
Kickbusch I, Prainsack B, Holly L. (2025) New rules are required for WHO’s engagement with Big Tech. BMJ.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r1718
Holly L, Naing SY, Pitt H, Thomas S, Kickbusch I. (2025) Health promotion and the digital determinants of health, Health Promotion International, Volume 40, Issue 2.https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf033
Lopes SC, Holly L, Kickbusch I (2025) Mapping policies and regulations for safe and healthy digital environments for children and adolescents. Global Policy.https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13492
van Kessel R, … Holly L, … et al. (2025) A scoping review and expert consensus on digital determinants of health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization.https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.24.292057
Carah N, Demaio S, Holly L, Kickbusch I, Williams C. (2025) Beyond banning: Our digital world must be made safer for young people. Health Promotion Journal of Australia.https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.938
Holly L (2024) Tackling digital harms: Why simply banning children from social media won’t protect them. BMJ.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q2617
Holly L, Demaio S, Kickbusch I (2024) Public health interventions to address the digital determinants of health. The Lancet Public Health.https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00180-4
Kickbusch I, Holly L (2024) Digital governance needed to tackle commercial determinants of health. The Lancet.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02283-3/fulltext
Agrawal A, Kickbusch I, Medhora R, Ndili N, Holly L. (2023) Making digital transformations work for health: introducing a new consortium to take forward recommendations from the Lancet and Financial Times Commission. The Lancet.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02041-X
Kickbusch I, Holly L. (2023) Addressing the digital determinants of health: Health promotion must lead the charge. Health Promotion International.https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daad059
Holly L, Wong BLH, van Kessel R, Awah I, Agrawal A, Ndili N. (2023) Optimising adolescent wellbeing in a digital age. BMJ.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-068279
Holly L, Thom S, Elzemety M, Nurage B, Mathieson K, Iñigo Petralanda MI (2023) Strengthening health data governance: New equity and rights-based principles. International Journal of Health Governance.https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHG-11-2022-0104Emerald Publishing Literati Award: Outstanding paper, 2024
Holly L, Smith RD, Ndili N, Franz C, Stevens EAG. (2022) A Review of Digital Health Strategies in 10 Countries With Young Populations: Do They Serve the Health and Wellbeing of Children and Youth in a Digital Age? Frontiers in Digital Health.http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2022.817810
Wong BLH, Gray W, Holly L. (2021) The future of health governance needs youth voices at the forefront The Lancet.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02212-1
Kickbusch I, Piselli D, Agrawal A, … Holly L, et al. (2021) The Lancet and Financial Times Commission on governing health futures 2030: growing up in a digital world. The Lancet.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01824-9
Holly L. (2020) Health in the digital age: Where do children’s rights fit In? Health and Human Rights Journal.https://www.hhrjournal.org/2020/12/08/perspective-health-in-the-digital-age-where-do-childrens-rights-fit-in

Conferences and talks

Contact details

Email:

Louise.Holly@warwick.ac.uk