UCL joins NIHR School for Public Health Research

The School aims to increase the evidence base for effective public health practice by increasing the amount and quality of applied public health research, and creating an environment where first class research, focused on the needs of the public, can thrive.

The other members chosen by the NIHR are Bristol, Cambridge, Liverpool and Lancaster, and Sheffield Universities, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, and Fuse (a collaborative Centre bringing together Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside universities).

The UCL team is led by Professor Anne Johnson, Dr Andrew Hayward, Professor Michael King, Professor Susan Michie and Professor Rosalind Raine. The team is committed to developing a collaborative working relationship, sharing expertise and increasing the size and scope of evaluations, so that the School is greater than the sum of its parts.

They will co-ordinate UCL's expertise in a wide range of areas, leading to joint research with School members and beyond.

An initial project, Active Buildings, led by Professor Jane Wardle and Professor Alexi Marmot will model the relationship between workplace layout and physical activity, which will act as a tool to test office building layouts at design stage in relation to their potential for activity generation.

This will provide practical guidance for designers and organisations about the features that assist in creating work environments that encourage physical activity.

Anne Johnson, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at UCL, said: "We are absolutely delighted to become a member of the School. This is an excellent opportunity to undertake cutting-edge research to tackle the big issues in public health with other leading academic centres.

"Significant changes in how public health is being managed in England are currently underway, so there could not be a more important time for a strategic and long-term programme of work that tackles applied research. We look forward to working closely with the other members and practitioners in Local Authorities and across public health."

The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility.

The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients.

Links:

NIHR School for Public Health Research
National Institute for Health Research
UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences