Health and Wellbeing Institute launch

A multidisciplinary centre aimed at tackling issues of health and wellbeing has been launched recently at Leeds Metropolitan University. The Institute for Health & Wellbeing will undertake research into the health status of individuals and communities, investigating issues including men’s health, community health, and childhood obesity.

Professor Richard Hogston, Institute Director, said: “The University’s research foundations and strengths are rooted in the practical implications of research (‘the doing’) and the impact research has on communities; this will now be nurtured to even higher levels of excellence”.

Professor Mike Kelly, Director of the Centre of Public Health Excellence at the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), commented: “This development is going to make a very big impact on a range of different areas of health and wellbeing”.

“To understand the nature of the health of society, we have to focus not only on the mortality and morbidities in society but the broader concept of wellbeing and the acknowledgement of that in the title is very important and a pointer to the way we ought to be thinking about the future,” he added.

Ian Cameron, Executive Director of Public Health at NHS Leeds, added: “Leeds continues to be faced with significant health challenges, including unacceptable levels of health inequalities. The creation of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at Leeds Metropolitan University provides a tremendous opportunity to help meet those challenges”.

“By harnessing the national and international work of the new institute we can collaboratively better deliver innovative community-based solutions for the benefit of the people of Leeds.”