Research in the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences

About us

The College has a vibrant research community engaged in cross disciplinary work. Brunel has recently joined Imperial College Health Partners and the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences takes a lead role in that partnership.

Research degrees

Research case studies

How our research impacts society

People

The people behind our research

Our latest publications

The frail-LESS (LEss sitting and sarcopenia in frail older adults) remote intervention to improve sarcopenia and maintain independent living via reductions in sedentary behaviour: findings from a randomised controlled feasibility trial

A brief historic overview of sexual and gender diversity in neuroscience: past, present, and future

The association between liking, learning and creativity in music

No Evidence That Vitamin D Levels or Deficiency Are Associated with the Risk of Open-Angle Glaucoma in Individuals of European Ancestry: A Mendelian Randomisation Analysis

Research areas

Applied Respiratory Research Group

Applied respiratory research meeting the needs of respiratory-related healthcare

Brunel Older People’s Reference Group

Brunel Older People’s Reference Group (BORG) is a database of local people aged over 50 who are interested in Brunel and the research that goes on here.

Brunel Partners Academic Centre for Health Sciences

Focusing on allied health, nursing, social care and medicine, the centre supports ambitious plans to educate the health and care workforce, supporting the delivery of radically transformed integrated physical and mental health and care provision.

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research Group

Understanding the biological, social, physiological aspects of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and producing knowledge to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience

Fundamental and applied research into brain function using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), eye-tracking, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), infrared thermography together with psychophysics and cognitive behavioural paradigms in health and disease.

Culture and Evolution

Evolution and culture are the two most fundamental and powerful influences on human behaviour, and their effects are what we study at the Centre for Culture and Evolution.

Embodiment in Academic and Professional Practice

Development of an enhanced awareness of bodies as sensors of crucial information about ourselves and our reality; Enhancing our performance as human beings, practitioners, researchers and educators.

Genome Engineering and Maintenance

Diverse research network focused on molecular, cellular, organismal and computational aspects of genome biology.

Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse

Inequalities in health and wellbeing in the UK and internationally; welfare, health and wellbeing; ageing studies; health economics.

Health Behaviour Change

Development and evaluation of theory- and evidence-based health behaviour change interventions, across communicable and non-communicable diseases; evidence synthesis of behaviour change interventions.

Health Economics (HERG)

Our strategic focus is on economic evaluation and systematic reviews of a broad range of clinical and health service technologies by providing high-quality, applied, policy-relevant research, as well as developing and refining methods to increase the rigour and relevance of such studies.

Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents

The generation, promotion and integration of new, multi-disciplinary research that is particular to the British nuclear test veteran community, their genomic health and the impact of uncertainty on health more broadly.

Inflammation Research and Translational Medicine

Driving scientific innovation and discovery for diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiovascular disease, inflammatory and immune disorders, microbial resistance, and cancer.

Institute of Communities and Society

The Institute focuses on the social, community, and cultural aspects of pressing contemporary issues including migration and movement, social unrest, intersectional inequalities, and institutionalised poverty.

Institute of Health, Medicine and Environments

Our challenge-led work in health and wellbeing focuses on understanding the relationships between biological, social, natural, and built environments and health and wellbeing outcomes.

LEAP-Lab: Learning, Expertise, Action, Perception

Three innovative spaces, which collectively support a thriving research culture in which staff and students work collaboratively to produce high-quality research on the topics of Learning, Expertise, Action, and Perception.

Organ-on-a-Chip

The group’s main research focus is on women’s health and developing four main organ-on-a-chip (OOC) models: the breast, vagina, ovary, and placenta.

Physical Activity in Health and Disease

The centre conducts interdisciplinary research to improve human health and performance through regular physical activity and exercise, and by limiting sedentary behaviour.

Pollution Research and Policy

Predictive approaches in toxicology, including combined chemical exposures and development of new frameworks for non-animal approaches for predicting toxicity; Endocrine disruptor research with an emphasis on mechanisms of disease and test method development; Pollution monitoring, clean-up technologies and chemical analytics.

Religion research group

The Religion Research Group (RRG) is a transdisciplinary group of scholars working on diverse dimensions of religion.

Sedentary Behaviour, Health and Disease

Investigating the relationship of sedentary behaviour with health and wellbeing; evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to reduce and break up sedentary behaviour.

Smart Technology Advancements in Health and Rehabilitation

Data science/wearable technology and Rehabilitation; Haptic feedback, multi-sensory interfacing and Robotics in Health; Immersion and Engagement in Virtual Rehabilitation; TeleHealth/TeleRehab; Data: using AI and Machine learning to improve health.

Social Justice

Concepts of social justice and understanding of climate change, health and wellbeing, digitalisation, poverty, conflict, and inequality. Our focus is on a broad social justice agenda that is alert to and critical of inequalities.