Applied Health Sciences PhD

University of Aberdeen

Population-based research to support decision-making aimed at maximising health and optimising healthcare services.

The Institute of Applied Health Sciences (IAHS) is a multidisciplinary grouping of approximately 70 academic staff who conduct population-based and clinically-orientated health research. It is co-located on the Foresterhill health campus with clinical services of NHS Grampian.

The Institute is organised in to 12 research groups. Current areas of methodological expertise include cohort studies, large-scale multicentre randomised trials, data science, health economics, health services research, epidemiology, health psychology, health technology assessment, and medical statistics.

We hold strength in the application of these methods to a number of clinical areas: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Child Health, Chronic Disease (Neurology, Renal and Public Health), Primary Care, Psycho-oncology, Rural Health, Urology, and Women’s Health. In addition, we are working on key research themes such as Cancer and Global Health that run through these clinical areas.

In 2018 the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, the highest national award to a university, was awarded to the University of Aberdeen in recognition of world-leading research into health economics and health services undertaken at Health Services Research Unit and Health Economics Research Unit over the last 40 years.

IAHS pursues an agenda of excellence in health research, to transform peoples’ lives through the better understanding and the improvement of healthcare systems and healthcare outcomes.