Institute of Health and Community

Shaping health and communities with research and innovation
Institute of Health and Community

Welcome to the University of Plymouth’s Institute of Health and Community (IHC) a multi-disciplinary Institute with a vibrant research culture and a focus on innovation and client-focused research. 

The key areas of research below define the scope of the Institute and reflect our expertise, scholarly interests and passions:

  • applied health including developing and evaluating health care for vulnerable groups, patient care, rehabilitation including quality and safety 
  • workforce 
  • public health, health promotion and wellbeing 
  • eHealth and technology
  • societal and global health challenges 
  • methodological skills. 

Members of the IHC come from a diverse range of disciplines including clinical academics, health and social care practitioners, academics, education and public services. 

The IHC has 12 research groups, facilitating inter-discipline and cross-faculty research. In addition, we are home to four forums/initiatives in collaboration with the NHS, local authority and charities and businesses: South West Clinical Schools, Public Health Forum, Global Collaboration Initiative and the University of Plymouth Centre for Innovations in Health and Social Care; a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence.

We work closely with the University of Plymouth’s Cognition Institute, the Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine and the Arts Institute in jointly developing funding bids, publishing and in hosting training and conferences

Throughout the year, the IHC runs a wide range of events and seminar series focused on wide-ranging topics including the development of complex interventions, methodological issues, nutrition, education, masterclasses in vision, and Global Health cafés. Our events are open to all, advertised on our web pages and we warmly invite you to come and participate. 


Jill Shawe
Director

Our research is supported by the following research groups

IHC Seminar Series 2018–19

More related events

IHC Plymouth Public Health Forum

The IHC Plymouth Public Health Forum was set-up to facilitate closer links between those of us, from across Plymouth, who are engaged in public health. 

It is a resource for anyone in Plymouth (and beyond) to use to support the development and evaluation of public health in Plymouth.

Discover more about IHC Plymouth Public Health Forum

The University of Plymouth Centre for Innovations in Health and Social Care; a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence

The University of Plymouth Centre for Innovations in Health and Social Care; a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence is a Joanna Briggs Collaborating Centre.

Supporting the synthesis of evidence to directly meet the needs of the health and social care sector and its stakeholders.

Find out more about the centre 

Global Health Collaborative

Created in 2016, the Global Health Collaborative (GHC) represents the coming together of individuals and organisations with an interest in global health issues.

Through innovation and partnership working, the GHC uses its collective expertise in clinical education, research and social engagement to further the understanding of global health challenges and to build resilience into health promotion and disease prevention programmes worldwide.

Discover more about the Global Health Collaborative

Family planning research in Kenya - Dr Lucy Obolensky, EGHO research project

South West Clinical Schools

The Clinical Schools are a collaboration between the University of Plymouth and NHS Trusts working with nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals at all stages of their clinical and academic development.

Our work with local health services has identified the urgent need to capture improvements in patient and family outcomes, as well as ensure that existing evidence is used to best effect and increase the amount of research led by non-medical health professionals. To meet these needs, we have invested in Clinical Schools, which are professorial-led centres, in five of our local NHS Trusts.

The main focus for the Clinical Schools is to encourage nurses, midwives and other allied health professionals to look at their practice, challenge current thinking, try out new ideas and work out ways to measure what they're doing.

Find out more about the Clinical Schools. 

Eye and vision masterclass series

  • Series 1: Glaucoma and optic neuropathies
  • Series 2: Vision rehabilitation
  • Series 3: Binocular vision and paediatrics
  • Series 4: Vision and ophthalmic optics
  • Series 5: Anterior segment and dry eye.

The eye and vision masterclass series at the University provides cutting-edge continuing education for eye professionals of all disciplines (optometrists, ophthalmologists, orthoptists, dispensing opticians, ophthalmic nurses, ophthalmic photographers and technologists) and is supported by leading industry partners. Specialists deliver clinically relevant seminars, real-time demonstrations with volunteer patients and state-of-the-art kit, as well as exercises and assessments on computer workstations.

The masterclasses are for ambitious graduate professionals who have a deep interest in clinical eye care and who are able to support their learning through high-level reading (five to ten hours per class), some of it self-directed. 

Course material, along with a 30-minute self-assessment, will be available three weeks prior to each class. 

The masterclasses will be highly clinical and will expose the latest evidence-base for clinical care and decision-making. Our faculty includes world-leading specialists who will bring to life current controversies through panel discussions and debates. 

A cross-cutting theme of all masterclass series will be public eye health and epidemiology. CET points will be applied for (TBC).

For registration (£100, reduced for students and trainees) email Professor Paul Artes.

Our publications