General Practice and Primary Care MSc (Research)

Our goal is to improve health by conducting world-class research and teaching in primary care.

Overview

Our staff, both clinical and research-based, are dedicated to undertaking internationally acclaimed research and teaching that addresses problems posed by complex care needs and inequalities, particularly in relation to chronic illness and multimorbidity, and marginalised populations such as migrants and those living in areas of severe deprivation. We have a strong focus on anticipatory approaches to health and the implementation and integration of complex service innovations (e.g. digital health services, screening) along with an emphasis on the role of health policy in shaping the experiences of patients and professionals.

We undertake interdisciplinary research with colleagues across the university, as well as NHS staff, the voluntary sector and other appropriate colleagues and agencies, locally, nationally, across the UK and internationally. We aim to promote person-centred, quality healthcare with a particular focus on the role of primary care as a vehicle for better coordinated and continuous care.

Individual research projects are tailored around the expertise of principal investigators within the department. As part of the Institute of Health & Wellbeing we welcome applications from students from a range of backgrounds and disciplines. We use a number of methodological (e.g. qualitative interviews, epidemiological analysis, systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials) and multidisciplinary approaches with students having the opportunity to be jointly supervised by academics with clinical and research-based backgrounds. Our work is at the forefront of Primary Care research with a particular focus on:

• chronic illness including mental/cardiovascular health and chronic pain (Mair, Mercer, Morrison, Nicholl, O’Donnell)
• cancer (Macdonald, Mair, Robb)
• treatment burden and multimorbidity (Mair, Mercer, Nicholl, Macdonald, Watt)
• empathy/patient-centred care (Mercer)
• inequalities and marginalised populations (Macdonald, Morrison, O’Donnell, Watt)
• digital health (Mair, O’Donnell)
• implementation research and policy (Mair, O’Donnell)

Approaches include:

• normalisation process theory (Mair, O’Donnell)
• application of social and behavioural science (Macdonald, Robb)

Our PhD programme provides excellent training complementary to a range of career options, and you can tailor your study pathway to the precise aspects of primary care research that suit your objectives. Many of our graduates continue in academia to become research leaders nationally or internationally or postgraduate research associates while others play leading roles in a range of healthcare or healthcare policy organisations. We have strong local, national and global academic connections.