Launch event for new health and wellbeing research institute

Health inequality expert Professor Sir Michael Marmot will give the keynote speech at the opening of the new Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing on 24 February 2022.

The Institute is Essex’s fourth flagship research centre along with the Institute for Social and Economic Research, the Institute for Analytics and Data Science, and the Human Rights Centre.

Sir Michael's talk, called ‘Build Back Fairer’, will outline how inequality must be tackled to address global health and wellbeing challenges such as rising obesity, inadequate access to mental health and social care, and infant mortality.

The launch will also include talks by the Institute’s Founding Director, Professor Mariachiara Di Cesare, Essex’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster and external health partners whose organisations have benefitted from working with the University’s research community.

Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Di Cesare spoke about the fundamental challenge that will drive the new Institute’s research agenda: “The over-arching critical health challenge is the need to tackle health inequality within and between countries. Inequality is hindering the fundamental right to health and if we don’t tackle the unjust and unfair differences in health we may halve progress made so far.”

The new Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing will draw on the University’s unique combination of expertise in artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics and social and economic research, coupled with medical approaches, to develop its research agenda.

It will also seek to build new partnerships with healthcare delivery organisations, charities, and communities to ensure Essex research influences practice and policy.

Professor Di Cesare said: “This is a hugely significant step forward for Essex. It is an Institute made by the community for the community, and it brings together researchers, individuals, partners and the community to share ideas and find solutions to help make good health and wellbeing for all a reality.”

Professor Sir Michael Marmot is Professor of Epidemiology at University College London, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, and a former President of the World Medical Association.

Also speaking at the event will be Peter Cook, Assistant Director of Innovation at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and Mark Heasman, Group Chief Executive of Provide, who will talk about how their organisations have collaborated with the University’s research community.

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