Rate My Professor Emma Plugge

Professor Emma Plugge is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education. She qualified as a medical doctor, undertaking postgraduate training in tropical medicine and primary care, and trained in public health. She completed a doctorate at the University of Oxford. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a clinician in the UK and overseas.

Professor Plugge's research specializations encompass the health of marginalized groups, particularly individuals in contact with the criminal justice system and migrants. Her work addresses communicable and non-communicable diseases in UK and international prisons, women's health, and the meaningful involvement of marginalized groups in research. She leads key projects including improving cancer care in English prisons, increasing vaccine access and uptake among European prison populations, and identifying social care needs for women in prison. Notable publications include "Cancer screening in older prison populations" (Austin & Plugge, 2026), "Bacterial sexually transmitted infections in incarcerated populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis" (Beaudry et al., 2026), "Mixed-methods investigation into the prevalence, patterns and determinants of prisoner self-harm during the COVID-19 pandemic in England and Wales" (Gutridge et al., 2025), "Health conditions among women in prisons" (McLeod et al., 2025), "Deaf behind bars: a global scoping review on the experiences of deaf people in prison" (Thomas, Plugge & Van Hout, 2025), "Cancer in English prisons: a mixed-methods study of diagnosis, treatment, care costs and patient and staff experiences" (Davies et al., 2025), "Guidance for Conducting Ethical Health Research in Prisons" (Munday, Plugge et al., 2025), "Cancer-preventing vaccination programs in prison: promoting health equity in Europe" (Cocco et al., 2024), and "Social care in prisons: urgent development required" (O'Neill et al., 2024). Her research informs prison health policy and practice, enhancing equity and outcomes for vulnerable populations.