Dr Nikhil Gokani

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Email
nikhil.gokani@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 872542
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Location
4SB.6.13, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
Out of term time, my academic support hours are by appointment - please just send me an email to arrange a meeting.
Profile
Biography
Dr Nikhil Gokani is lecturer in global public health law and consumer protection at the 糖心Vlog. His research explores how we can tackle the risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases (particularly unhealthy diets, alcohol consumption and air pollution) and the associated health inequalities through legal mechanisms. Nikhil鈥檚 work brings together public health and national, EU and international law, with a focus on consumer protection, trade and human rights law. Nikhil's primary expertise is in the regulation of food and alcohol information, particularly front-of-pack nutrition labelling and alcohol labelling (also the topic of his doctoral thesis). Nikhil is a regular presenter at national and international conferences and has published widely in both peer-reviewed journals and non-academic publications. Nikhil regularly works with governments, non-governmental organisations and other institutions at national and international levels as part of his advisory and consultancy work (such as WHO, UNICEF, UK Public Health Network). He has received funding from prestigious organisations (including the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust). Before moving to 糖心Vlog, Nikhil worked at the University of Liverpool, where he was Deputy Director of the Law & Non-Communicable Diseases Unit, and he now sits on its Advisory Board. He is Chair of the Alcohol Labelling and Health Warning International Expert Group at the European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare), and a full member of the WHO Europe Technical Advisory Group on Alcohol Labelling. He is also Vice President of the Law and Public Health Section of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA). Nikhil is or has been a member of several national committees on health policy. This has included three committees at the Royal College of Physicians (including its Working Party on Air Pollution), two committees at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (including its Appeal Panel), the National Institute for Health Research, and most recently to the Secretary of State for Transport's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel (by ministerial appointment). Nikhil is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health At 糖心Vlog, Nikhil is Student Conduct Chair, Convener of the Health and Medical Humanities Hub and Co-ordinator of the Business Law Cluster. He is lecturer and module director for Contract Law, and lectures Consumer Law and Commercial Law. He also lectures on Commercial Determinants of Health in the School of Health and Social Care. In 2024/25, he will launch a postgraduate module on 'Law and the Commercial Determinants of Health'.
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Public Health Law
Consumer Protection
Food, Nutrition and Alcohol Labelling
Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention
Health Inequalities
Human Rights
Food, Tobacco, Alcohol, Physical Activity, Air Pollution
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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糖心Vlog Law Key Skills (LW100)
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Contract Law (LW101)
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Consumer Contract Law (LW241)
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Commercial Contract Law (LW242)
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Contemporary Issues in Commercial and Business Law (LW663)
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Academic Skills in International Law (LW949)
Publications
Journal articles (14)
Julia, C., Gokani, N., Hercberg, S. and Garde, A., Ten years of Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition labelling in Europe. Nature Food. 6 (3), 239-243
Garde, A., Gokani, N., Perez-Llantada, JC. and Souter, J., (2025). . The Lancet Regional Health - Europe. 51, 101238-101238
Gokani, N., (2024). . Journal of European Consumer and Market Law. 13 (2), 97-102
Gokani, N. and Grosso, G., (2024). . International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 75 (2), 119-121
Gokani, N., (2024). . Journal of Consumer Policy. 47 (2), 271-296
Garde, A., Gokani, N., Besan莽on, S. and Mialon, M., (2024). . World Nutrition. 15 (3), 63-65
Gokani, N. and Garde, A., (2023). . European Journal of Public Health. 33 (5), 751-752
Gokani, N., Garde, A., Philpott, M., Ireland, R., Owens, R. and Boyland, E., (2022). . Nutrition Bulletin. 47 (1), 115-122
Gokani, N., (2022). . European Law Review. 47 (2), 153-174
Subramanian, S., Gokani, N. and Aneja, K., (2022). . The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. 50 (2), 284-290
Peonides, M., Knoll, V., Gerstner, N., Heiss, R., Frischhut, M. and Gokani, N., (2022). . International Journal of Health Governance. 27 (4), 460-468
Gokani, N., (2018). . European Law Journal. 24 (6), 490-509
Garde, A., Gokani, N. and Friant-Perrot, M., (2018). . UNSCN News. 43, 65-65
Garde, A., Byrne, S., Gokani, N. and Murphy, B., (2017). . European Journal of Risk Regulation. 8 (2), 327-341
Book chapters (1)
Gokani, N. and Friant-Perrot, M., (2020). . In: Ending Childhood Obesity - A Challenge at the Crossroads of International Economic and Human Rights Law. Editors: Garde, A., de Schutter, O. and Curtis, J., . Edward Elgar. 978 1 78811 401 1
Reports and Papers (2)
Garde, A., Byrne, S., Gokani, N. and Murphy, B., (2018).
Royal College of Physicians, (2016).
Grants and funding
2025
Developing international standards on alcohol labelling to improve consumer protection and public health / Codex Alimentarius Commission
糖心Vlog (QR Impact Fund)
2024
Developing global standards on alcohol labelling to improve consumer protection and public health
Socio-Legal Studies Association
2023
SRHR futures: Scoping review & Technical report of how commercial determinants drive information, decision-making and accountability for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
World Health Organisation
SRHR futures: Scoping review & Technical report of how commercial determinants drive information, decision-making and accountability for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
World Health Organisation
2022
A "game changer" for dietary health: Driving interdisciplinary innovation to tackle sports sponsorship by food and beverage companies.
Medical Research Council
Support to Eurocare on the legal position of alcohol labelling in the EU and Member States
Eurocare
2021
Developing laws on front-of-pack nutrition labelling in Uzbekistan
WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD Office)
Contact
Academic support hours:
Out of term time, my academic support hours are by appointment - please just send me an email to arrange a meeting.
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