About the departments

The objectives of EPH are to conduct the aetiological, methodological and statistical research that underpins strategies for the prevention and control of reproductive disorders and common diseases, including coronary heart disease, diabetes and stroke; to investigate the health effects of environmental pollution, and to carry out research into health service performance. It incorporates the government-funded Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) and is the Data Coordinating Centre for the international INTERMAP study on diet and blood pressure.

IDE is a UNAIDS collaborating centre for the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS; advises the Government on the epidemiology and control of BSE, foot and mouth, and preparedness for flu pandemics.  It is involved in SARS research and control in Asia, a number of research and control programmes in Latin America, and it also houses both the Bill and Melinda Gates-Foundation funded Schistosomiasis Control Initiative for Africa, and the Partnership for Child Development, which is funded by UNICEF and the World Bank.

The aim of PCSM is to promote interdisciplinary research into the primary care, public health and social aspects of health and health interventions in human populations as well as to provide a substantial training and teaching programme. The Department has strong collaborative links with other departments in Imperial College, elsewhere in the UK, and overseas. Key research areas for the PCSM are primary care epidemiology, the management of chronic diseases, health systems performance monitoring, assessment of health outcomes, health inequalities and the life course and social gerontology.

Research interests

The research groups of all three departments are internationally renowned and include staff with expertise in Bayesian statistics and computation, statistical genetics, spatial and environmental epidemiology, models for measurement error, longitudinal and survival data analysis, infectious diseases, disease transmission models, pathogen ecology, AIDS and sexual health, immunisation and control programmes, vector-borne infections, neglected tropical diseases, reproductive epidemiology, cardio-vascular disease, respiratory disease epidemiology, exposure assessment, health services research, health policy, qualitative and quantitative behavioural research, medical ethics, social epidemiology and clinical medicine.

The departments are committed to teaching and also organise a number of short professional courses, undergraduate teaching and have an active and growing PhD programme.