Lead, Professor Annie Anderson

The disease prevention research group aims to increase understanding between health behaviours and the primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases including dental disease, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The main areas of research are

• Theory based, behaviourally focussed intervention studies aimed at changing diet, obesity and other lifestyle factors
• Epidemiological investigations of health behaviours in relation to measuring health outcomes
• Interactions between environmental and genetic factors in disease causation
• Policy related interventions to change health behaviours

This new grouping brings together expertise in obesity prevention and management, dietary interventions, research in health behaviours, population interventions, epidemiology and medical sociology. Increasingly funding for behavioural science, policy development and public understanding of science has moved towards translational research that can be used to support evidence based practice on disease prevention. In recognition of the strength of our unique multi-disciplinary grouping, researchers in the group have received funding from the ESRC, BBSRC and MRC, Chief Scientist Office (Scotland), Department of Health (England), Cancer Research UK, World Cancer Research Fund (International) and the Food Standards Agency. The research group includes the Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research which has received funding from the TICR charity (The Institute of Cardiovascular Research) to support research infra-structure including office space, consulting rooms, demonstration areas and a dietary intervention laboratory.