Anita Charlesworth is the Director of Research and the REAL Centre (Research and Economic Analysis for the Long term) at the Health Foundation, and Honorary Professor in the College of Social Sciences at the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) at the University of Birmingham. She is a health economist and has a background in government and public policy. She is also an expert adviser for the Health and Social Care Select Committee. 

Before joining the Health Foundation in May 2014, Anita was Chief Economist at the Nuffield Trust (2010–14). Prior to that she had roles as Chief Analyst and Chief Scientific Advisor at DCMS (2007–10), Director of Public Spending at the Treasury (1998–2007) and worked as an Economic Advisor at the Department of Health and for SmithKline Beecham pharmaceuticals.  She has worked as a non-executive director in the NHS – for Islington PCT (2007–2011) and The Whittington Hospital (2011–2016). In 2022 she was appointed as non-executive director for North West London Integrated Care System.

She has an MSc in Health Economics from the University of York.