Our Research

Transforming | Health & Community Studies

Everything we do within the School centres on research excellence. We undertake groundbreaking studies which often influence decision-makers and policy writers working at the highest levels of government and health organisations. This research continually shapes our courses to ensure they are relevant and insightful. 

When Professor Claire Surr’s great grandmother was diagnosed with dementia, it inspired her to pursue research to improve the quality of care available to people with this condition. Claire leads our Centre for Dementia Research focusing on dementia workforce education and training and improving the quality of formal dementia care.

Professor Jane South works in the field of volunteering, active citizenship and community health. Jane is an active member of our Centre for Health Promotion Research and a national advisor for Public Health England.

We are also engaged in child development and play through the research and practice of Fraser Brown, the only professor in the world of Playwork. He has undertaken restorative work with abused and traumatised children in Romania.

The Nursing and Healthcare team in the School have a range of research expertise centred around aspects of nursing education, including student recruitment, student engagement & experience with learning technologies and Competence Based development and Assessment. Nursing Practice is also key to research activity with expertise available in End of Life Care, Dementia Care, Diabetes care and risk management in medicines practice. This research is applied in focus contributing directly to policy and practice in the health and healthcare education system. 

We also offer research courses (for example PhD’s and MRes’s) that inform future thinking and practice in health and social care both nationally and internationally. Research students are supervised by our professors and subject experts in health promotion, social work, youth work and community development, dementia, playwork, pain and safeguarding children.