Community health and policy

Our health as individuals is inextricably tied to our community

From pollution to dementia, cancer to cardiovascular disease, there are some health threats that can affect us all. At Imperial, we’re working for a healthier future for everyone. With your support, we will open new research centres, recruit world-class experts and set up specialist labs where breakthroughs happen. 

Communities are at the heart of public health. The health of hundreds of millions of people worldwide has been improved thanks to vaccination programmes and other public health initiatives. 

Here at Imperial, we’re working hard to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and families through prevention, intervention and policy. To achieve this, our researchers are investigating how social and environmental factors interact with genetics and physiology in the development of disease.

Sharing research findings informs government policymaking around health and gives people information to help them make better choices when it comes to their health and their family’s health.

Making an impact in cities globally 

The profound effect of social exclusion on health is also becoming clear. In our new building, we’ll explore how poverty, diet, lifestyle, and access to public services combine to negatively impact on the health and wellbeing in White City – and cities around the world. 

But understanding conditions and identifying risk is just the beginning. We’ll harness the power of health data to improve healthcare and patient lives. We’ll work with community leaders and government policymakers to evaluate policy impact and design interventions based on evidence that change lives.

Fighting for clean air for all

How does ongoing exposure affect our health in the long term? What’s the best way to predict air pollution? Can major changes in cities make a difference? Here at Imperial our pioneering approach measures the impact of pollution on a biomolecular level to provide new insights. 

 Air pollution is now the biggest environmental risk of early death worldwide. One of the UK’s leading experts in air pollution, Professor Frank Kelly, heads up a team of Imperial researchers in the School of Public Health investigating all aspects of air pollution from toxicology through to science policy to uncover novel solutions. New, advanced labs for aerosol and toxicology research will help to take this work to the next level