MRC Epidemiology Unit
The MRC Epidemiology Unit informs, develops and evaluates approaches to promote health through precision prevention and population health improvement.
Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major and growing global public health challenge. The cost of treating these conditions is unsustainable for many health care systems, and they create many broader economic and social difficulties.
Non-communicable diseases result from a complex interplay of genetic, developmental, behavioural and environmental factors that operate throughout our lives.
The Epidemiology Unit’s approach to these challenges is founded on two complementary strategies:
- developing and evaluating precision prevention interventions targeted at sub-groups in the population defined in different ways, such as stage of the life course, level of risk, or nature of the risk factor.
- investigating the influences on health for whole populations to inform the development and evaluation of population level interventions.
Together, these strategies are helping us to gather and apply evidence – from our biology, behaviour and environment – that can improve the lives of people in the UK and around the world. Globally we are working with researchers in low, middle and higher-income countries in Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and Asia.
We work with a range of partners to develop and improve our research, and to discover how best to translate our findings into practice and policy. As well as our collaborations with research scientists across the world, partner with members of the public, research participants, health professionals, policymakers, community organisations, the media, and the private sector.
Our research themes
We study the genetic, developmental, behavioural and environmental factors that cause obesity, diabetes and related metabolic disorders, as well as approaches to the prevention of these diseases and their consequences.
Our research mission is to inform, develop and evaluate approaches to promote health and wellbeing through the joint strategies of precision prevention and population health improvement.
Our research themes are:
- Causes and Mechanisms. Investigating the causes and mechanisms of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases in individuals and populations.
- Precision Prevention. Developing and evaluating precision prevention approaches to address the causes, consequences and complications of non-communicable diseases.
- Population Health Improvement. Informing, developing and evaluating population-based approaches to improve health and reduce inequalities in the UK.
- Global Public Health. Investigating and developing approaches to improving global public health, including work in low, middle and higher income countries in Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and Asia.
Our department
We have seven research groups funded as Medical Research Council core-funded programmes, ranging from the aetiology and mechanisms of diabetes and related metabolic disorders, through 7nutritional and physical activity epidemiology, to prevention-focused research in young people and adult populations.
We also have other departmental research groups within the Unit, supported by a range of funders in areas including public health modelling, global public health, interventions in patient populations and the measurement of diet, nutrition and physical activity.
We also play leadership and coordination roles in national and international research projects and networks.
Get in touch
Visit us or contact us
Visit us
MRC Epidemiology Unit
Box 285 Institute of Metabolic Science
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Cambridge
CB2 0QQ
Telephone: +44 (0)1223 330315
