Biomedical Sciences
Understanding determinants of health throughout the lifespan.
- What factors promote and reduce health outcomes among populations living in developing or transitional countries?
- How can we optimally assess and treat eating disorders and feeding problems among children, adults and athletes?
- In what ways can exercise influence the inflammatory processes of athletes and those with chronic disease and how can these effects be optimised to improve health and performance?
- How can we optimally screen for cognitive impairment to enable early detection and to aid access to required intervention?
The three research entities within the Biomedical Sciences theme utilise a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding the determinants of health through research on maternal and child health, eating behaviour, the performance of the immune system, and cognitive performance in the elderly.
The Centre for Global Health and Human Development includes scientists with broad interests in human population biology but with a common focus on maternal and child health, human growth and development, and cognitive performance across the lifespan. We have a particular interest in populations in developing or transitional countries (e.g. South Africa, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia) and the health risks of different ethnic groups in developed countries (e.g. South Asians in the UK, Mayans in the USA).
The Centre for Research into Eating Disorders (LUCRED) is dedicated to increasing our understanding of the psychological processes that affect eating behaviour. These behaviours cover a broad spectrum from severe restriction, through normal eating to overweight and obesity. The centre includes staff with expertise across all age ranges; from pre-birth, through all developmental stages to adulthood. We have special interests developing optimal ways to assess and treat feeding disorders in children, and eating disorders among sub-threshold groups, patients and athletes.
The Inflammation, Exercise, and Metabolism Research Group has added to the evidence base that exercise has a profound effect on the immune system in both elite athletes and those suffering from chronic disease. The research combines whole body exercise interventions with detailed analysis of blood, muscle and adipose tissue. Through a mixture of both fundamental and applied research involving a multidisciplinary approach our work strives to produce a clear evidence base on which to advise athletes and those undertaking exercise for health on how to optimise their training regimens.
