About us
The Centre for Health and Wellbeing in the Lifecourse (CHWL) draws together existing research excellence already established in welfare, health and wellbeing, ageing studies, rehabilitation and health economics to maximize effectiveness in an existing area of research strength.
Main research aims
Bringing together some of Brunel’s most active and inventive social and health science researchers we aim to improve understanding of social processes underpinning health and wellbeing. Researchers in the CHWL will have a strong focus on driving excellence through academically rigorous and ethically robust work to inform the University’s challenge-led research in ‘Health’, and will align with UK Government’s Grand Challenges around the ‘Ageing Society’ and Sustainable Development Goals relating to health and wellbeing which underpin current priorities of UK and global funding schemes.
The CHWL is distinguished by its concern with diverse populations, life-course issues and political, economic, and sociocultural contexts and will draw on different disciplinary foundations and develop interdisciplinary approaches in doing so. The Centre will have a central remit to address inequalities in health and wellbeing in the UK and internationally.
Our researchers advance existing contributions to the development of innovative methodologies for research and knowledge production (e.g. sensory and visual methods), grow expertise in secondary data analysis techniques and expand developments in the monitoring and evaluation of health and wellbeing interventions including development of evidence-based decision support tools for policymakers, researchers and wider stakeholders (e.g. http://equipt.eu).
Key objectives
Research excellence within the CHWL is framed by three key objectives directly reflecting Brunel’s 2030 Research Strategy through the priority and strategic ‘Health’ challenge and wider UK societal challenges and sustainable development goals focused on ageing, and health and wellbeing by:
- leading innovation in open research, education and training, and knowledge exchange for the health and wellbeing benefit of societies in the UK and globally
- developing interdisciplinary approaches to understandings of health and wellbeing in the life-course in UK and international contexts
- increasing the quality and relevance of academic and non-academic partnerships, including multi-sectoral collaborations for public engagement which have both UK and global relevance.