Our research

Our vision is to conduct ‘research that matters’ - both scientifically and practically.  

CENTRE-UB's leaders have decades of expertise in knowledge exchange and research co-production. We work across disciplines and with stakeholders from government, industry and other sectors to design research that supports a fair, healthy and safe society. 

Our approach

Human behaviour can be both the cause and the solution to many societal challenges. To tackle these, we need to strive for a better understanding of human behaviour, at an individual level, but also within groups, communities, environments, and systems. 

Social science is at the heart of understanding human behaviour but many advances in our understanding come when we draw on the strengths offered by different disciplines in combination, and when we adopt different research methods to gain a fuller appreciation of the phenomenon under study. CENTRE-UB brings this multidisciplinary lens to both fundamental and applied research in human behaviour and our training offering further reflects this ethos. 

Research conducted within CENTRE-UB is aligned with our four themes, representing pressing societal challenges and potential solutions. We put particular emphasis on research that has the potential to make a positive change within society.  

An interdisciplinary University

The University of Birmingham has been investing in interdisciplinary research for more than a decade, with a focus on translating fundamental science into applications with impact. 

Centres we are collaborating with are associated with our pillar themes and include: 

  • Institute for Global Innovation 
  • Institute of Advanced Studies 
  • Institute for Mental Health 
  • Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI 
  • Centre for Human Brain Health 
  • Health Services Management Centre 
  • Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security 
  • Centre for Health, Law, Science and Policy 
  • Centre for Movement and Wellbeing 
  • Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action 

These centres also reflect our expertise in behaviour across the lifespan, as well as in different populations. In addition, our links with other research groups across the University will provide CENTRE-UB members with opportunities to collaborate with research on technology innovation, studying human use, update and compliance with technology. 

Innovative methods and cutting-edge technologies

Researchers within CENTRE-UB have access to the University’s facilities, including neuroimaging, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Analysis of large-scale data sets is supported by the University’s super computers, BlueBEAR and Baskerville, to which all researchers have free access. 

As the first phase of Birmingham’s new Health Innovation Campus opens, our researchers will also benefit from access to a world-leading healthcare technologies hub.