Gareth Williams is Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University. He has published widely in academic and professional journals and has written and edited a number of books. He is currently leading the Triangle Project, an action research project located in three disadvantaged communities in South Wales funded by the Welsh Assembly Government under its Sustainable Health Action Research Programme. He is also Director of the Welsh Health Impact Assessment Support Unit and the SE Wales section of the All Wales Alliance for Research and Development in Health and Social Care (AWARD). Address for correspondence: School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3WT, UK. (email)