Health Sciences research

Through our research in nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, we strive to make significant improvements to global health, wellbeing and societies by undertaking high quality interdisciplinary research, with impact, that generates robust and relevant evidence for key stakeholders nationally and internationally.

We provide a unique research environment where state of the art methodologies and methodological innovation thrive alongside opportunities for impactful interdisciplinary research, and capacity and capability building within a stable and sustainable research environment.

Our research

We are an agile community of allied health and social care researchers and practitioners. We strive to deliver research that supports people to maintain, attain or regain good health, through a focus on Health and Behaviour. To achieve this, our organisational structure promotes close interdisciplinary working on health challenges, focussing on engagement and collaboration with public sector organisations and external collaborators. 

Our work centres on three inter-related areas of expertise: Determinants of Living Well (Determinants) which is led by the Institute for Social Marketing and Health; Interventions to Support Living Well (Interventions) which is led by the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit and Health, Social Care and Professional Practice to Support Living Well (Practice) which is led by Health Sciences. All three areas of work are underpinned by health and behaviour theory led from Health Psychology. Our collaborative working means that there are studies in each of the three topics across all sections.

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Institute for Social Marketing and Health

The Institute for Social Marketing and Health (ISMH) has a 40 year history of enabling improvements in population health and society through world-leading research on marketing, behaviour change and public policy. 

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Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit

The Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit (NMAHP-RU) is a multidisciplinary national research unit, funded by the Scottish Government Health Directorate Chief Scientist Office.

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Health psychology

Our mission is to develop and apply psychological theory and methods to understand and change health behaviours across the lifespan, across illnesses and across the globe. We work closely with various health services to ensure our research makes a difference to healthcare staff, patients, and the public.

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Health sciences

Health Sciences researchers form an active teaching and research division with practice at its core. Practitioner-led research is central to our focus on building capacity and capability. Our practice focus spans health and social care and is award winning.

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Research Spotlight

Our research seeks to explore new ways in which free mental health awareness and intervention can create positive outcomes and new care pathways for patients struggling with depression or at risk of suicide.

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PhD subject areas in Health Sciences

Clinical Doctorates

Our Clinical Doctorate is the only one of its kind in Scotland, tailored to the needs of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. The course is practice-focused and has been designed to prepare you for leadership roles in the healthcare sector.

If you’re passionate about improving patient care, whilst retaining a clinical focus, this course is designed for you. You’ll join professionals from a range of disciplines for on-campus and online study, benefitting not only from the extensive knowledge of the Clinical Doctorate team, but also from each other’s experiences. As a qualified Doctor of Nursing, Midwifery or Professional Health Studies you’ll have the highest level of academic qualification available within your specialism – placing you at the forefront of your profession as a recognised, highly employable expert.

Healthcare professionals on the course could include: nurses, midwives, dieticians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paramedics, speech and language therapists, podiatrists, sport psychologists and genetic counsellors.

Health Sciences PhD

Study for a Health Sciences PhD or MPhil at the University of Stirling and you’ll join a friendly postgraduate health science community where teaching, employability, global engagement, research, facilities and environmental impact are all five-star rated (QS Stars University Ratings 2024).

We’re proud of the key contributions made by our research students to our achievements and our PhD students are supervised and supported by leading academics who have outstanding multidisciplinary research records. These include specialists in public health, epidemiology, statistics, social marketing, health psychology, nursing, health services research and evaluation. They have expertise in a range of qualitative and quantitative methods. We’re committed to making a difference to world needs in health, wellbeing and society. If you share our passion, the University of Stirling is the perfect place to conduct postgraduate research in Health Sciences.

Read more about how to apply and see entry requirements What's the difference between a PhD and an MPhil?

 

Nursing and Midwifery PhD

Study for a Nursing and Midwifery PhD or MPhil at the University of Stirling and you’ll join a friendly postgraduate health science community where teaching, employability, internationalisation, research, facilities, programme strength, and environmental impact are all five-star rated (QS Stars University Ratings 2024).

We’re proud of the key contributions made by our research students to our achievements and our PhD students are supervised and supported by leading academics who have outstanding multidisciplinary research records. These include registered nurses, midwives and other allied health care professionals, who have interests across the fields of practice and work in research teams in self-care, cancer care, evaluation and public health. We’re committed to making a difference to world needs in health, wellbeing and society. If you share our passion, the University of Stirling is the perfect place to conduct postgraduate research in Nursing.

Read more about how to apply and see entry requirements What's the difference between a PhD and an MPhil?