The University of Bolton is opening a new research centre, The Centre for Research for Health and Wellbeing, in September.
The centre will undertake research into health and wellbeing and how it impacts on professional agendas and social issues. Community involvement and collaborative ventures will be at the core of research projects within the centre.
Its launch takes place at the at the Putting Patients First in Health and Service Delivery conference on Wednesday 8 September 2010, held at the University in collaboration with NHS Bolton.
Speaking at the opening of the Conference will be University of Bolton Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Marsh, who will outline the vision for Bolton One, a £31 million health, leisure and research centre due to open in 2012.
NHS Bolton Chief Executive, Tim Evans will also be speaking, as will Abdul Mulla, Chief Executive of Blackburn and Darwen Healthy Living Centre.
But the conference will also explore issues as diverse as representations of disabled people in photography to the benefits of conducting community research in the back of a black taxi cab|, in a range of diverse and engaging workshops and presentations.
Said research centre director, Prof Carole Truman: 'In addition to our work with professionals within the arena of health and wellbeing. our research centre's early priority will be to build our postgraduate research capacity.
'Health and community research work at the University has an established, reputation for successful collaboration within the health and community sectors.
'Our links with the primary care sector are set to flourish when Bolton One opens. We will be working side by side, literally, giving us greater opportunities to build our research alliance, working together in the community in the way universities have more traditionally worked with hospitals.'
Said Prof Marsh: 'The opportunities for us to build and develop our primary health care-focused research within Bolton One makes us distinctive among universities and is a major research strength for the university.'
Tim Evans, Chief Executive of NHS Bolton, said: 'The new research centre will be a really useful addition to the borough. It will add to the excellent work the University already does around health and community research, and will provide us with even more valuable information that will help us to develop services based on what local people want and need.'
To register for the conference contact Nicola Dunn at ngd1@bolton.ac.uk| and find more details at www.bolton.ac.uk/CRHW/Home.aspx|
Pictured is Prof Truman with colleagues who worked on the award-winning black cab research project