The Global Public Health research strand focusses on public health issues of global significance through interdisciplinary research. It is a cross-faculty initiative led by:

• Professor Helen Lambert, Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences
• Professor Keith Syrett, Centre for Health, Law, and Society, School of Law

The strand will seek to support the development of new research partnerships both across departments and faculties within the University of Bristol, and with international partners, particularly those based in low and middle income countries; and will work on addressing the Sustainable Development Goals.

The opening address by John Iredale, Pro Vice Chancellor Health and Life Sciences, expressed the importance of interdisciplinary research in global health in the face of ever increasing, complex global health challenges, that only a joined-up approach can address.

The event, led by the research strand leads, was a combination of short presentations, group work and discussions, and included short talks on the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) funding landscape and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding opportunities.

Presentations

Participants took part in lightning presentations, where each person was given two to three minutes and a maximum of two slides to speak about their research interests. Many more people took to the stage to talk and to ask questions.

These presentations included topics such as:

• Swine flu pandemic
• The hygiene hypothesis
• Health system responses to violence against women
• Capacity strengthening – mutual learning
• The traditional Mexican diet and non communicable disease outcomes
• Social determinants of obesity inequalities in Chile
• How households in developing countries make decisions about investments in ‘human capital’ (health and education)

Priorities

There were breakout groups on the research strand’s priority areas, comprising:

• Women’s and young people’s reproductive and sexual health
• Mental health
• Prevention of infection
• Multimorbidity (co-existing health conditions)

These discussions were informed by the cross-cutting themes of:

• Vulnerability
• Health systems
• Policy impact

The event closed with a reception and a chance for people to network and discuss future possible research collaborations.