Research

Achieving and maintaining physical, mental, emotional, organisational and social well-being for all members of society is a major global challenge, and we seek to address this with our world-leading research which can influence policy, organisations and healthcare management.

Get in touch with us if you'd like to explore a research collaboration.

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RESEARCH CENTRES AND INSTITUTES

Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality

We provide a forum for innovative interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange in gender and sexuality studies.

Birkbeck Institute for Social Research

We are the focal point for social research at Birkbeck, and a hub for the dissemination and discussion of social research in London and beyond.

Birkbeck Centre for Educational Neuroscience

We combine the expertise of researchers in child development, neuroscience and education at three world-leading universities: Birkbeck, UCL Institute of Education and University College London.

Birkbeck Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Mental Health

Our work aims to enable a better understanding of the experiences, treatment and prevention of mental distress; the social, political and philosophical debates surrounding it; and its representations in literature and culture.

Birkbeck Centre for Neurodiversity at work

Based in the Faculty of Science, we undertake research to support ethical practice focused on the priorities of neurominority employees.

Birkbeck Centre for Cognition, Computation and Modelling

Our research spans the breadth of modelling techniques and frameworks employed in the study of human behaviour.

Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development

Our work is characterised by the use of converging methods and by our theory-driven programmes of empirical research on visual, cognitive and language development in human infants, children and adults.

Birkbeck-UCL Centre for Neuroimaging

We provide state-of-the-art magnetic imaging facilities for Birkbeck and UCL staff, and promotes inter-institutional collaboration and innovation.

EXPLORE OUR REF 2021 IMPACT CASE STUDIES IN THIS AREA

The significance of the impact which derives from Birkbeck's research was reconfirmed in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, with 85% of our impact case studies rated in the world leading or internationally excellent categories.

Competition, choice and inequality in publicly-funded healthcare

Beckert's research into patient choice has significantly impacted the practice of the assessment of mergers of NHS-funded healthcare services.

The "Elephant in the Ward": Combatting Boredom in Hospital

Professor Pick's 'The Hidden Persuaders' has influenced and inspired Dr Lizzie Burns' Anti-Boredom Campaign.

Developing mental health interventions and services for multilingual adults

This case study describes how training practices for interpreters and psychotherapists working in the NHS, private therapy and the voluntary sector have improved.

Impact of philosophical research on the food and drink industry and on health and wellbeing

Professor Smith's research focuses on how we perceive flavours, and made a significant, distinctly philosophical intervention into debate about the objectivity of taste.

The philosophy of mental health activism

Dr Rashed's evidence to the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act influenced its outcome by emphasising the importance of competence and bias.

Early years' experience and social mobility

Professor Melhuish's research focuses on the critical role of early experiences for education outcomes.

Informing practice and legal frameworks for adoption by LGBT parents

Dr Tasker's research on LGBT-parented families shows that children's wellbeing and development are not negatively affected by their parents' sexuality.

Impact of interpretative phenomenological analysis

IPA is a qualitative methodology for describing and understanding how individuals make sense of their personal experience.