Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care (CRIPACC)

Research theme/s:

About us

The Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care (CRIPACC) is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary research centre focused on producing research that makes a difference to people’s lives by improving the quality of health and social care services and promoting health and wellbeing. At the last assessment of research quality (REF 2021) over 80% of our research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

The Centre, which is part of the School of Health and Social Work, brings together over 30 researchers with backgrounds in nursing, primary care, public health, epidemiology, social work, the social sciences, mental health and nutrition. Key areas of research activity include:

• Communities, Young People and Family Lives
• Place Based Ageing
• Patient Experience and Public Involvement

Our involvement with the NIHR

The CRIPACC team is involved in the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) for the East of England, along with colleagues from the universities of East Anglia, Cambridge, and Essex.

The ARC brings together health and social care professionals, researchers, and the communities they serve. Professor Wendy Wills is Director of the NIHR ARC East of England. Kathryn Almack leads the Ageing and Multimorbidity theme, Elspeth Mathie co-leads the Inclusive Involvement in Research for Practice-led Health and Social Care theme, and Claire Thompson leads the Prevention and Early Detection in Health and Social Care theme.

Our Professional Doctorates

We offer a wide range of opportunities to undertake research degrees in health and social care related disciplines; whether that be one of our two Professional Doctorates, the Doctorate in Public Health and Doctorate in Health and Social Care, or via one of our current 13 PhD routes.

With the most recent UK assessment of research quality (REF 2021) reporting that over 82% of the research conducted in the School of Health and Social Work, and associated Research Centres, was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent, we pride ourselves in supporting our Post Graduate Research students to develop themselves and their research skills while planning and delivering their own original doctoral-level research. Students are supported via the supervision and guidance of two or more academic members of staff as supervisors; and further supported by the University’s Researcher Development Programme, together with bespoke workshops and sessions delivered online and in our Departmental Research Hub.

The School of Health and Social Work has two further research units:

• Paramedic Science Research
• Musculoskeletal Research Unit

Wendy Wills

I am a Professor of Food and Public Health and Director of the Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care (CRIPACC), School of Health and Social Work.

In my own research I work at the interface of social science and public health particularly in relation to food and eating practices, food safety, malnutrition and weight/obesity and health/inequalities. I have directed several major research grants, including for the ESRC and Food Standards Agency. I was formerly a member of the FSA's Social Science Research Committee and convenor of the British Sociological Association's Food Study Group.

I am an Associate Dean Research in the School of Health and Social Work, a role shared with Professor Julia Williams.

Centre Director

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Meet the team