Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Services Research, MD; PhD – (Ph.D.)

PhD and MD supervision is available in the following areas:

Ageing, health and society: this area focuses on understanding ageing from cultural, environmental and social gerontological perspectives. Our current research is on the epidemiology of ageing, person-centred care, primary care, cognitive ageing and dementia, ethics and public engagement, inter-generational relations, tackling inequalities in later life, assistive technologies and anti-ageing science.

Chronic disease epidemiology and the health of populations in transition: our interests are in the epidemiology and prevention of chronic diseases. We have a particular interest in these conditions in low and middle income countries and also in determining the most important risk factors for chronic disease.

Economics of safety, health, environment and risk: major strengths are in economic evaluation; economics within clinical guidelines; priority setting; eliciting patient and community values; and econometric aspects of health determinants.

Paediatric and life-course epidemiology: epidemiological methods and GIS are used to investigate childhood and adult disease within a life-course framework. Major strengths are: childhood cancer; adverse pregnancy outcomes, diseases of childhood, radiation effects on health and lifecourse influences on health in later life. Resources include two established birth cohorts (The Newcastle Thousand Families Study and the Gateshead Millennium Study).

Environmental epidemiology: studies of the health effects of climate, particulate matter in the air and soil contamination, and environmental risk perception and communication.

Public health research: we conduct research on health inequalities and health determinants; risk perception and public/patient preferences; priority setting; and evaluation of public health interventions.

Public health nutrition research: the research conducted within the Public Health Nutrition Research Programme of the Human Nutrition Research Centre includes nutritional epidemiology, particularly cohort studies and intervention studies as well as a strong methodological theme. Much of this programme focuses on measurement and understanding of dietary behaviour (and physical activity) in children, young people and their families to contribute towards combating the obesity epidemic in children and young people.

Health technology and human relations: we focus on understanding professional knowledge and practice, and health technologies and their users. Employing a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, our work is informed by a wide variety of theoretical positions in social and behavioural sciences.

Social gerontology and brain ageing: we have particular expertise in the psychological and social impact of cognitive impairment on the quality of life of older people and their carers, and the broader societal consequences of dementia.

Effective practice and organisation of care: our work encompasses ways in which research evidence is implemented in clinical practice by carrying out theory-driven methodological studies of how to implement evidence, and empirical studies of implementation in practice.

Clinical trials: we conduct clinical trials in a range of behavioural and clinical applications, and conduct methodological work on patient outcome measures and patient involvement.

Development and disability: we undertake research which aims to define causes and mechanisms, from genes to environment; evaluate effective and acceptable interventions using a broad range of methods; and define the impact of disability on individuals, families and society. The programme of research in neurodevelopmental disability encompasses basic research through to the organisation and delivery of health services. We have a particular focus on children with cerebral palsy and with autism spectrum disorders.

Risk communication and decision making: our programme includes innovative work in developing and evaluating shared decision making between patients and health care professionals, and risk communication (covering stroke prevention, atrial fibrillation, pain relief and labour, caesarean section, falls prevention in older people, vaccination). Work is also being done on the population and public health implications of shared decision making.

Oral health services research: we are developing improved modelling techniques that will enable us to monitor the social, health and economic impact regular dental care can have on both patients and society. Specifically, we are interested in how oral health relates to general health and how that can be measured; the health economics of payment in the mixed economy of dentistry; and the management of scarce public resources for maximum oral health benefit.