Public health

Our public health research

Our public health cross-cutting theme brings together researchers, clinicians, practitioners and expertise in the design and evaluation of complex interventions, epidemiological studies, service evaluation and systematic reviews to deliver improved health and social care for patient and public benefit

Facilitated by a strong collaborative approach this research focuses on answering complex questions, and societal and global health challenges, particularly health inequality, in the areas of primary care, mental health and wellbeing, oral health, lifestyle risk & health and integrated care

Central to this approach, our Community and Primary Care research group, part of NIHR PenCLAHRC, connects researchers, expertise and activity across the University of Plymouth’s Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine (ITSMed) and Institute of Health and Community, to investigate and evaluate treatments and preventative approaches across the healthcare sector

Trials and well-designed studies in our focus areas are supported by our UKCRC registered Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit (PenCTU) and our Medical Statistics teams. Current PenCTU facilitated studies within the public health theme include:

• Engager II – collaborative care intervention for offenders with common mental health problems – funded by NIHR – Professor Richard Byng;
• e-coachER – web-based coaching / exercise referral scheme for patients with chronic physical and mental health conditions – funded by NIHR – Professor Adrian Taylor
• TARS – trial to the effectiveness of new physical activity support to help smokers who want to reduce but not quit – funded by NIHR – Professor Adrian Taylor
• Strengthen – improving health for those under community supervision, with the support of a Health Trainer – funded by NIHR – Professor Adrian Taylor

Our research and expertise

The cross-cutting public health theme encompasses:

• Mental health in disadvantaged communities (Professor Richard Byng) – non-drug based treatment (complex interventions) and management of mental health in disadvantaged communities through health and social care provision.
• Health and behaviour change (Professor Adrian Taylor) – complex interventions to improve health, and prevent and treat disease through behaviour change, diet and exercise, smoking cessation and to address alcohol and substance misuse.
• Person-Centred Coordinated Care (Dr Helen Lloyd) – development and evaluation of NHS, social care and community services based around and responsive to individual needs.
• Respiratory health (Dr Rupert Jones) – chronic lung disease detection, care and social impact caused by exposure to particulate pollution, especially in the developing World.

• Psychiatric disorders (Dr William Lee) – epidemiology of psychiatric disorders, observational methods and the use of routinely collected data.
• Oral Health Service Research (Professor Liz Kay, Professor David Moles, Dr Mona Nasser) – oral health inequality, oral public health promotion, systematic reviews, research priority setting methodology, clinical decision making in dental environment, oral cancer and evidence based dentistry.
• Obesity and diabetes (Professor Jon Pinkney) – origins of weight gain and obesity, impact on health, diabetes, development of effective prevention strategies and treatment interventions.
• Emergency Medicine (Dr Tim Nutbeam, Professor Jon Pinkney) – pain in emergency patients, management of blast injuries, treatment of sepsis and brain trauma.