Wolfson Research Institute
Encyclopedia
The Wolfson Research Institute is a multi-disciplinary research institute
at Durham University
in England
. The Institute facilitates research on medicine
, health
, and well-being and is named after the Wolfson Foundation
, which provided funds for the Institute's establishment. The Institute is housed in a purpose-built building on Queen's Campus in Stockton-on-Tees
.
The Institute's core staff comprises a director, deputy director, six associate directors, research statistician
and a small administrative team. The team are responsible for supporting a fellowship program that comprises Durham academics whose research focuses on interdisciplinary research in medicine and health as well as the application of medical and health research on society. External Honorary Fellows are appointed on the basis of their seniority and collaboration with the Institute. The Institute's management board is composed of academic members of the University and chaired by the director.
The Institute has four stated themes that define its overall scope of activities. These are
.
The first director of the institute was Professor Charlie Heywood of the Department of Psychology. He was followed by Professor Ray Hudson of the Department of Geography. The third and current director, Professor Tim Blackman of the School of Applied Social Sciences, became director in 2008.
The Institute's building has over 20 laboratories and 60 offices to accommodate 150 research staff and 100 postgraduates
. The building houses the School for Medicine and Health and the North East Public Health Observatory, as well the Centre for History of Medicine
and Disease, the Cognitive Neuroscience
Research Unit (Department of Psychology), the Durham Endocrinology
Laboratory (Department of Anthropology), the Durham University Clinical Trials Unit and researchers from the Geography department.
Fellows are drawn from 14 departments. In 2011, there were over 150 fellow, most from the School of Applied Social Sciences, School of Medicine and Health, Department of Geography, or Department of Psychology.
, public health
, epidemiology
, child development
, cognitive neuroscience
, biology
, medical anthropology
, health geography
, social work
and medical humanities
.
The Institute publishes its newsletter Engage three times a year. The newsletter contains news of Fellows' achievements and profiles of individual Fellows and Research Centres, laboratories or other organisational units that are associated with the Institute. Events organised and hosted by the Institute include public seminars and conferences. Fellows of the Institute are involved in outreach activities related to their research area.
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
at Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Institute facilitates research on medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, and well-being and is named after the Wolfson Foundation
Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is a charity that awards grants to support excellence in the fields of science and medicine, health, education and the arts & humanities.- Overview :...
, which provided funds for the Institute's establishment. The Institute is housed in a purpose-built building on Queen's Campus in Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
.
The Institute's core staff comprises a director, deputy director, six associate directors, research statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
and a small administrative team. The team are responsible for supporting a fellowship program that comprises Durham academics whose research focuses on interdisciplinary research in medicine and health as well as the application of medical and health research on society. External Honorary Fellows are appointed on the basis of their seniority and collaboration with the Institute. The Institute's management board is composed of academic members of the University and chaired by the director.
The Institute has four stated themes that define its overall scope of activities. These are
- Building the research and development base of North East EnglandNorth East EnglandNorth East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
- Tackling health inequalitiesHealth equityHealth equity refers to the study of differences in the quality of health and health care across different populations....
- Setting agendas and establishing centres of excellence
- Outreach
History and facilities
The Institute was established in 2001. The Wolfson Foundation donated a substantial amount of funding for a building housing offices and wet laboratoriesWet laboratory
Wet laboratories are laboratories where chemicals, drugs, or other material or biological matter are handled in liquid solutions or volatile phases, requiring direct ventilation, and specialized piped utilities...
.
The first director of the institute was Professor Charlie Heywood of the Department of Psychology. He was followed by Professor Ray Hudson of the Department of Geography. The third and current director, Professor Tim Blackman of the School of Applied Social Sciences, became director in 2008.
The Institute's building has over 20 laboratories and 60 offices to accommodate 150 research staff and 100 postgraduates
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
. The building houses the School for Medicine and Health and the North East Public Health Observatory, as well the Centre for History of Medicine
History of medicine
All human societies have medical beliefs that provide explanations for birth, death, and disease. Throughout history, illness has been attributed to witchcraft, demons, astral influence, or the will of the gods...
and Disease, the Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience is an academic field concerned with the scientific study of biological substrates underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. It addresses the questions of how psychological/cognitive functions are produced by the brain...
Research Unit (Department of Psychology), the Durham Endocrinology
Endocrinology
Endocrinology is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions called hormones, the integration of developmental events such as proliferation, growth, and differentiation and the coordination of...
Laboratory (Department of Anthropology), the Durham University Clinical Trials Unit and researchers from the Geography department.
Fellowship
Fellows of the institute are nominated by their head of department and two other fellows. Upon successful application to the scheme, fellows can access several modes of support, including statistical support, peer review of grant applications, ethics advice, advice on funding opportunities and promoting of achievements. Fellows also have access to a small-grants fund designed to facilitate pilot work in multi-disciplinary research on health and well-being.Fellows are drawn from 14 departments. In 2011, there were over 150 fellow, most from the School of Applied Social Sciences, School of Medicine and Health, Department of Geography, or Department of Psychology.
Research areas and outreach activities
Research within the umbrella of the Institute is originated by the Fellows, whose work is returned to their home departments. Individual research interests within the Fellowship are highly variable as a reflection of the overall diversity of academic work within the University. The Institute does not produce any research outputs directly but supports and promotes multi-disciplinary research in primary carePrimary care
Primary care is the term for the health services by providers who act as the principal point of consultation for patients within a health care system...
, public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
, epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
, child development
Child development
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
, cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience is an academic field concerned with the scientific study of biological substrates underlying cognition, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. It addresses the questions of how psychological/cognitive functions are produced by the brain...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, medical anthropology
Medical anthropology
Medical anthropology is an interdisciplinary field which studies "human health and disease, health care systems, and biocultural adaptation". It views humans from multidimensional and ecological perspectives...
, health geography
Health geography
Health geography is the application of geographical information, perspectives, and methods to the study of health, disease, and health care.- Overview :...
, social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
and medical humanities
Medical humanities
Medical humanities is an interdisciplinary field of medicine which includes the humanities , social science , and the arts and their application to medical education and practice...
.
The Institute publishes its newsletter Engage three times a year. The newsletter contains news of Fellows' achievements and profiles of individual Fellows and Research Centres, laboratories or other organisational units that are associated with the Institute. Events organised and hosted by the Institute include public seminars and conferences. Fellows of the Institute are involved in outreach activities related to their research area.