Ruth Boocock is an HCPC-registered dietitian and Associate Professor (Enterprise & Knowledge Exchange) at Teesside University. She has over 30 years’ experience spanning clinical practice in the NHS, higher education, and applied public health research. Her clinical expertise is in diabetes, with experience across primary, secondary, and tertiary care.

Ruth holds a BSc (Hons) in Human Nutrition from Ulster University, an MEd (Clinical Education) with distinction from the University of Leeds, and was awarded a Doctor of Professional Practice by Teesside University in 2024. She is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE.

Nationally, Ruth contributes to shaping dietetic education and standards through the British Dietetic Association (BDA). She chairs the BDA Quality Standards Committee and is a former Chair of the BDA Higher Education Group (2021–2025). She previously served as a BDA Accreditation Assessor (2018–2025). Ruth is the BDA Subject Matter Expert for practice-based learning assessment and led the development of the first UK-wide dietetic common assessment tool for pre-registration training. She continues to lead its implementation and evaluation across practice-based learning settings.

Ruth’s research spans two interconnected areas:
(1) Type 2 diabetes, food insecurity, and health inequalities, and
(2) Practice-based learning in healthcare education.

Her doctoral research explored barriers and enablers to implementing diabetes remission strategies for adults newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in a highly deprived area of England, with a focus on primary care.

Her current research in public health nutrition examines how food systems, structural inequalities, and local environments shape health behaviours and outcomes, particularly for people living with type 2 diabetes. This includes a focus on food insecurity, weight-related stigma, and digital exclusion.

In parallel, Ruth’s educational research focuses on practice-based learning, particularly entrustment-based decision-making and programmatic assessment. Her work explores how capability is assessed in complex, real-world settings, and how assessment approaches can support learner development, workforce capability, and safe, high-quality care.

Methodologically, she has expertise in evaluation, evidence synthesis, and mixed-methods research, and is committed to applied, interdisciplinary research that informs practice and policy.