Institute of Health Research and Innovation
Activities within the Institute can be broadly divided into three main themes: Disease Management, Smarter Health, and Rural Health and Wellbeing.
Impact is central to our philosophy and we work closely with a wide variety of UK and international companies to ensure rapid translation of our technologies and services into products that will improve healthcare within the region, with worldwide applicability.
A key feature of the Institute is collaboration: our researchers work closely together across disciplines and actively seek collaborations with external organisations worldwide, with a dedicated Healthcare Innovation Team helping teams address commercialisation matters. Typically, we have over 60 ongoing projects, most of which involve partners at other institutions in Scotland, UK, Europe or beyond.
The Institute of Health Research and Innovation researchers belong to one of the following:
Division of Biomedical Sciences
Division of Biomedical Sciences
The Division of Biomedical Sciences is home to the Free Radical Research Facility, and has research expertise in genetics and immunology, Mass Spectrometry And Bioinformatics Core Facility, and includes the Active Health Exercise Lab (AHXL). Together the departments undertake a range of activies related to active health and are able to support commercial work of any size.
Led by Professor Ian Megson, the mission of the division is to undertake world class research into the causes and treatment of diabetes and the cardiovascular diseases that the condition precipitates. The Division is based at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness, and conducts extensive research, primarily into the causes and consequences of diabetes, but also into a wide range of clinical conditions; most notably cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, and cancer.
Department of Nursing and Midwifery
Department of Nursing and Midwifery
Our Department of Nursing and Midwifery specialises in patient and public involvement in research and engagement of the public in our research from start to finish. Our work compliments the expertise available across the Institute of Health Research and Innovation.
Our Key research themes focus on:
- Remote and rural health
- Nursing workforce, education and pedagogy
- Rehabilitation and physical activity
- Quality improvement
- Older people and dementia
- Adolescent health
- Palliative care
Division of Rural Health and Wellbeing
Division of Rural Health and Wellbeing
The Division of Rural Health and Wellbeing has particular research interests in Digital Health and user engagement in rural health services design and delivery. The Rural Health and Wellbeing research group carries out innovative research and evaluation in the area of rural health, health services and community wellbeing. The group collaborates with other UHI researchers in, Inverness, Moray and Lews Castle Colleges as well as being a member of the Digital Health Institute and an RGU-UHI collaboration.
We aim to contribute to the knowledge base on preventing ill-health and promoting wellbeing. Our research not only enhances understanding of patterns and experiences of health, illness and their underlying drivers, but also contributes to the development of health services policy and delivery that functions in as effective and appropriate ways as possible for staff, patients and families.
The university also hosts the The Scottish Rural Health Partnership (SRHP), formerly known as the Scottish School of Rural Health & Wellbeing. Please visit the dedicated webpages to learn more about this exciting project exploring new ways to deliver high quality and accessible care in rural and remote areas involving communities, research, innovation and education.
Healthcare Innovation Team
The knowledge exchange activities for the Institute are coordinated by a dedicated Healthcare Innovation Team that is responsible for all aspects of health-related innovation and commercialisation, including industrial liaison, partnership agreements and intellectual property management. You can contact them at innovation@uhi.ac.uk
Applied Departments
The Department of Nursing and Midwifery has close links with the Applied Life Studies Subject Network and sits within the overall structure to maintain close links with both the research-based divisions and teaching practice.
Close links between researchers in the Institute and teachers in the wider School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences is a vital element of university research, ensuring that students at every level are exposed to the very latest advances.
Long-term consequences of COVID-19
Helping to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic: COVID-19 represents an unprecedented global challenge and cutting-edge research is at the forefront of the battle against the virus. UHI researchers have been active throughout in helping to fight the disease and investigate its long-term consequences.
View our live COVID-19 research projects
Download our:
Health Research Assessment Results
Our Health researchers were submitted to REF2014, as part of a joint submission with The Robert Gordon University.