School of Health and Medicine launched at Lancaster
Lancaster University’s expertise in health related research and teaching has been given a boost with the creation of a new School of Health and Medicine launched on 1 August 2008.
The School has three academic Divisions of medicine, health research and biomedical and life sciences. Growth in these areas is anticipated and the School is recruiting to several high-profile academic positions.
Professor Tony Gatrell is Dean of the School, supported by Dr Fiona Benson, who is Associate Dean for Teaching and Professor Peter Diggle who is Associate Dean for Research.
Professor Gatrell said: “ The new School is an opportunity for Lancaster’s unique approach to health and medicine to grow. Lancaster specialises in interdisciplinary research in this area which links the social and medical aspects of health. Lancaster’s new and ground breaking research which addresses real health problems, is also fed through to students who will become health professionals of the future. “
New developments include bids to engage in collaborative and translational research with local NHS Trusts and a research centre specialising in bipolar disorder - the Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research - which opened in February 2008. A new Centre for Organisational Health and Wellbeing is also in the pipeline.
The Division of Medicine is responsible for the delivery of the University of Liverpool’s undergraduate medical programme. Lancaster’s first medical doctors will graduate in 2011 and the School is adding postgraduate medical education to its current teaching portfolio.
CHICAS (Combining Health Information, Computation and Statistics)provides a focus for statistical and epidemiological research within the new School.
Lancaster leads in areas such as public health, mental health and end of life care. The UK’s first Professor of Hospice Studies is based in the School’s International Observatory on End of Life Care.