Health Faculty Publications PG Study and Research 2016 | Page 4

Welcome from the Dean The Faculty of Health at Keele has been established for over a decade, during which time it has expanded the portfolio of courses, research grant income has doubled, and health, in its broadest terms, has become a major driver of growth in the University. We have four schools offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Medicine, Midwifery, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation, and Health Sciences. In parallel, our two Research Institutes undertake world-leading studies in the fields of primary care and translational medicine, in conjunction with local clinicians based in the community and our affiliated teaching hospitals. All four schools offer successful, distinctive and innovative programmes, as judged from the results of national league tables and surveys undertaken by the various professional bodies. Our focus on quality and student experience is underpinned by being a relatively small but high-performing university with superb facilities. Leading edge research in a number of focused areas is attracting international acclaim, as judged by an excellent outcome in REF2014 in which the three health-related units of assessment covering primary care, allied health professions, and bioengineering were the three top performing areas across the university. The excellence of the NIHR-funded research programmes in musculoskeletal disorders in the Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences has attracted much acclaim, which is reflected by the award of National Centre status by Arthritis Research UK. Our laboratory-based research is necessarily limited and focuses on diagnostics, genetics, and regenerative medicine within the Research Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine. Discipline-specific research is also undertaken within schools and serves to underpin a philosophy of research-led teaching. 4 There are a range of opportunities within the Faculty for postgraduate study. We offer taught programmes at Certificate, Diploma, and Master’s level across a broad spectrum of clinical and biomedical fields. Individual modules allow a mix of core and bespoke combinations that cater for the individual need, whether based on a specific module supporting professional development or pursuit of an accredited postgraduate degree. An emphasis on flexibility enables the Faculty to cater for postgraduate students and practising clinicians with either a professional or an academic interest who are either full-time, or wishing to study on a part-time basis over an extended period. The principle of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) via distance learning is particularly well developed in Pharmacy, which has contracts with a number of national retail chains. Our successful Research Institutes also provide opportunities to study for PhD, DPharm, DM or MPhil degrees on a full or part-time basis combined with clinical service roles and working alongside researchers with an international reputation in their field.  We hope you choose the Faculty of Health at Keele for your Continuing Professional Development, postgraduate study and research. On behalf of the Facu