From 2010-2018, Iain worked as a ‘policy entrepreneur’ within the Department of Health (which became the Department of Health and Human Services). In 2011 Iain helped to establish the Place, Health and Liveability policy research partnership at the University of Melbourne with Prof Billie Giles-Corti. In 2018 that partnership became the Healthy Liveable Cities Group at RMIT University, where Iain is an honorary Associate Professor.
In 2016, research that came from this research partnership was included in a special series of the Lancet on urban design, transport and health. This Lancet series was launched at the UN 71st General Assembly in New York.
Currently, the RMIT team is partnering with the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority to adapt the Liveability research and resources for use in Thailand and cities in other low-to-middle-income countries. The work links strongly to the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.