Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Services Research

We aim to transform the health of individuals and populations through pioneering research. Our work focuses on: identifying the causes and consequences of ill health; understanding life-course development and ageing; developing and evaluating public health and applied health interventions to enhance well-being; and improving health decision-making and the organisation of care.

Most of our work is multidisciplinary and brings together staff from a wide range of backgrounds such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health professions and social or behavioural sciences. Teaching and research in the Institute of Health and Society is enriched by the active research and practice links we have with the Strategic Health Authority (SHA), and with local hospital and primary care trusts. We are part of Fuse – the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, which is one of only five Centres for Excellence in Public Health in the UK.

Our MSc awards can be used to support your career development, or to develop research training skills and subject knowledge before progressing to PhD study. Selected modules on our MSc programmes can be taken individually as short courses to enhance professional development. Our taught programmes are open to medical and non- medical graduates and intercalating MB BS students.

The MRes is a research degree that includes some taught modules and is suitable for clinical fellows and non-clinicians wishing to pursue a research career. The MRes can also provide an entry platform to a PhD. As a research student you will be based in the Institute of Health and Society where a team of experienced research active academics, with an in-depth knowledge of your chosen field will provide you with regular advice and guidance.

We encourage all research students to attend our seminar series, where you can meet researchers from both inside and outside the University, and to make full use of the research training and professional development programme run by the Medical Sciences Graduate School.

There are also opportunities to attend conferences and seminars where you can present your work and meet students and academics from other research institutions. Funded MRes and PhD opportunities can be found on the University’s funding database when they become available and some students may supplement their income via part-time research and teaching work.

Postgraduate degrees in this subject area: