Newcastle University

Research

The Institute of Health & Society (IHS) conducts translational research aimed at promoting evidence-based policy and practice for the benefit of patient and population health. Our research is encapsulated by four over-arching, but inter-related, themes which address important societal concerns: the causes of ill-health and the patterns of disease across society; the health and social impact of specific conditions or changes in health state across the life-course; the impact of interventions to improve health and well-being in individuals and populations; and health decision making and organisation of care.

Our research is underpinned by robust methodological expertise and the key scientific disciplines include: epidemiology, health economics, health psychology, health services research, medical sociology, nutrition, and statistics. The typically multidisciplinary nature of our work involves collaboration within and beyond the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS), extending to the Faculties of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS), and Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAGE) and to other regional, national and international organisations.

Our research also involves close partnership with clinicians, as well as policy makers and practitioners from a range of health and social care settings.  By working closely with the end users of research, we help to ensure that our science is relevant to practice and thus more likely to be adopted into practice in due course. This T2 translational research agenda is exemplified by our hosting of Fuse the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health. Fuse is one of five UKCRC Public Health Research Centres of Excellence and it brings together the five North East Universities, as well as policy and practice partners from across the North East.

The Institute also includes the NIHR Research Design Service North East (RDSNE) and the UKCRC registered Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit (NCTU). The RDSNE provides methodological and practical support to academics and practitioners applying for national peer-reviewed research funding whilst NCTU supports the design, conduct and analysis of randomised controlled trials and other high quality studies.
Our four research themes are: