£5 million research project to address health inequalities

The Tower Hamlets Health Determinants and Inequalities Research System (THIRST) project is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) as part of Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRC).

The award will support collaboration between UEL, the council, Tower Hamlets Council for Voluntary Services (THCVS), Queen Mary’s University, London Metropolitan University and others, with partners taking a lead in delivering innovative research on the wider causes of health inequalities.

It is part of an NIHR investment that has awarded £50 million to 13 new HDRC projects across the UK.

Gail May, Director of the Office for Postgraduates, Research and Engagement, is leading the project for UEL. Gail said, "We are delighted to be part of this significant collaboration to address health inequalities in Tower Hamlets and to be able to harness our research and engagement expertise, working in partnership with local communities and partners to identify priorities and co-design solutions.

Professor Julia Davidson, Vice Chancellor for Impact and Innovation at the University, said, "This is the first time councils have had the opportunity to bid for funding of this type to work with local communities, and we are excited to be involved with Tower Hamlets Council as a research partner.

"The University of East London sits in some of the most diverse yet deprived boroughs of the UK, and our research will have a direct impact on those communities,” Professor Davidson added.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said, "Our residents have fewer good years of health than almost anywhere else in the country and that needs to change. "While we know that some groups are more likely to be affected by things like poverty, overcrowding and health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, a solid research system is needed to help us understand how our policy decisions can make a real-life change. "Our ambition is to make Tower Hamlets the ‘go to’ place for research into the factors that drive health inequalities. This funding boost will help us transform how research is conducted and used, to help make sure everyone in our community can live a long and healthy life." The project is designed to enable local authorities to become more research-enabled, embedding a culture of evidence-based decision making. The University will collaborate with Tower Hamlets Council for Voluntary Sector (THCVS), Queen Mary University of London and London Metropolitan University.