Centre for Health Sciences Research

Prosthetics and orthotics student working in the lab

The Health Sciences Research Centre (HSRC) is a multidisciplinary group, focused on improving health outcomes through innovation, research and partnerships. The centre has a strong focus on technological advancement, often working closely with NHS and industry partners to develop and test new treatments and to create innovative healthcare products and services. We also consult closely with patient groups to develop health care solutions focused of the needs to patients or community groups. 

HSRC also plays a key role in training the work force of the future and houses the EPRC centre for doctoral training in prosthetics and orthotics. Membership comes from a wide range of backgrounds, including nursing, physics, physiotherapy, psychology, public health social work and sport. Together the group continues to bring new insights to contemporary health and social care challenges across all age groups, from those affecting young children to those which are associated with older age.

For further information on the Health Science Research Centre please visit our dedicated website at https://hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/home-page/health-sciences-research-centre/.

Contact

Centre for Health Sciences Research
University of Salford
Allerton Building
Frederick Road Campus
Salford
M6 6PU
United Kingdom

Research Centre Director: Steve Preece
s.preece@salford.ac.uk

Research Groups

Human movement and rehabilitation

The Human Movement and Rehabilitation group addresses important global health and social care trends that limit people’s mobility, their ability to live independently and are barriers to maximising their life experiences. This includes the global growth in those with arthritic joint disease (the leading cause of disability globally), diabetes, and people with cardiovascular and neurological disease (with associated major health and societal costs and elevated mortality rates) and the associated serious complications (e.g. amputations).

Research in this group focuses on rehabilitation and clinical movement sciences, spanning the continuum from underpinning sciences and laboratory based research, through to the development of novel technologies and implementation into clinical and work place practices. The breadth of research spans engineering and computational modelling through to health behaviour, social sciences and qualitative research. Since 2019 the group has hosted the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training for Prosthetics and Orthotics.

For further information and contact details, please visit the group’s dedicated webpages: https://hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/home-page/health-sciences-research-centre/human-movement-and-rehabilitation/.

Children and young people

This research group conducts research that addresses real world problems and increases the knowledge and evidence related to the health and wellbeing of children and families from the community to tertiary level care. We will inform healthcare policy, clinical practice and service delivery, with a view to optimising child and family outcomes. The research in the group in organised into four different research themes: optimising outcomes in acute and critical illness, Improving CYP mental health, Preventing and responding to child abuse and Child empowerment and advocacy.

For further information and contact details please visit the group’s dedicated webpages: https://hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/home-page/health-sciences-research-centre/children-and-young-people/.

Protecting the public's health

This research area covers important contemporary aspects of health and wellbeing, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This is an interdisciplinary group, including public health scientists, radiographers, medical physicists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, exercise and health scientists, psychologists and sociologists. Our research spans specific health issues (e.g. breast imaging, behaviour change, physical activity, alcohol misuse) within different settings (particularly workplaces, schools or communities) using a range of intervention and evaluation methods (e.g. making use of digital/technology; optimisation in medical imaging). On the prevention side, we specialise in applying and evaluating evidence-based health practice aimed at improving health (e.g. through diagnostic imaging) and health related behaviour (e.g. reducing alcohol consumption or smoking). Informed by the evidence base our research group designs, develops and evaluates a broad range of contemporary health interventions. Our treatment focus includes improving health outcomes for those who have been made, or become ill, for example through work, alcohol or smoking.

For further information and contact details please visit the group’s dedicated webpages:

hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/home-page/health-sciences-research-centre/protecting-the-publics-health/.

Psychology

Research conducted by the Psychology group focuses on how individuals think, feel, and act, and how they deal with the challenges they face. Such challenges can be at an individual, group, or societal level and they cover diverse issues such as disability, mental health, interaction with technology, climate change, social media, and political radicalisation. We are committed to advancing the understanding of human behaviour at a theoretical level and to developing interventions to improve wellbeing and performance. Some examples include assessing the value of educational apps in supporting child language development, measuring the effectiveness of cognitive enhancement techniques, and developing methods to improve resilience in students

For further information and contact details please visit the group’s dedicated webpages:

https://hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/home-page/health-sciences-research-centre/psychology/.