Our research

Research strengths

Two cross-cutting themes underscore our research strengths:

Tackling inequality

We understand the far-reaching impact of inequality and seek to find the right solutions. Researchers across the social sciences, arts and humanities, and science and health at Essex are revealing the influence of inequality in society and how it impacts health and wellbeing.

Cutting-edge methods

Our strength in data science, quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and artificial intelligence techniques can make a significant impact on improving health and wellbeing by analysing issues and delivering insights to guide decisions.

Research focus

Four research themes provide the focus for our research:

• Social, biological and environmental determinants of health
• Interventions, outcomes, evaluations and policy
• Wellbeing and health promotion
• Human rights, community participation and voice

Research groups and clusters

Researchers across all three faculties have formed research groups and clusters to focus in on tackling key health and wellbeing challenges.

Our research groups include:

The Centre for Intimate and Sexual Citizenship
An interdisciplinary space for cutting-edge research on contemporary intimate life.

The Health, Exercise and Active Lifestyle Group
Produces research relating to health, exercise and activity.

The Health Law Cluster
Works on topics including mental capacity and disability, sexual and reproductive health, and legal and social determinants of health.

The Health and Medical Humanities Group
Explores how the arts, humanities and social sciences can be applied to understandings of medicine, health and wellbeing.

The Protein Structure and Mechanisms of Disease Group
Explores how proteins are critical for human health, the environment and biotechnology.

The Smart Health Technologies Group
Applies multidisciplinary information and digital technologies to improve health.

Research case studies