Across our Research Driver Programmes, there is a wealth of multidisciplinary data science expertise, and use of different ‘³¾´Ç»å±ð²õ’ or types of data. This enables exciting opportunities for integration and collaboration across Drivers to work together on cross-cutting priority topics that benefit from expertise across different disciplines.ÌýÌý

Enviroment and Health

By bringing together health-related data from sources such as cohort studies and administrative data, with environmental data — such as weather conditions, air pollution levels, and noise exposure — researchers can better understand how the environment affects our health and contribute to health inequalities.ÌýÌý

These are key aims of the Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Research Driver Programme, and across our wider DriverÌý Programmes, understanding how environmental exposures such as air pollution and temperature affect health outcomes are increasingly become more of a priority.Ìý

A collaborative UK-Germany effort

Led by Professor Angela Wood, co-lead Big Data for Complex Diseases Driver Programme, and , HDRUK were awarded funding a to strengthen partnerships between 51±¬ÁÏÍø and in Germany.Ìý

Driver Programmes who participated in this initiative included SocialÌý and Environmental Determinants of Health, Inflammation and Immunity and Molecules to Health Records, with HDRUK Regions such as 51±¬ÁÏÍø Wales also represented .ÌýÌý

Workshops

In-person workshops in 2025 across London and Munich included over 150 attendees attending in person. UK wide representation included members of the 51±¬ÁÏÍø community, and wider stakeholders such as , , and ÌýÌý

German partners and stakeholders included members of the Helmholtz Centres community and partners, including ) and the Ìý

The workshops explored priority topics including:

  • Data infrastructure and solutions to promote cross country analysisÌý
  • Methodological challenges and opportunitiesÌý
  • UK and Germany data sources that could be utilised for cross country comparisonsÌý

Travel Awards

As part of this initiative, 14 travel awards were granted to UK and German researchers to support short-term placements across HDRUK Member Institutes and Helmholtz Centres to develop new partnerships and collaborative projects.ÌýÌý

Webinar SeriesÌý

A dedicated webinar series took place showcasing the outputs of the travel awards, and scientific expertise, data and infrastructure across the UK and Germany that can accelerate partnership working in environment and health.Ìý

You can access recordings of selected previous webinars by clicking on the webinar titles below. They’re also available on the Futures platformÌý

The final report for this collaboration, including summaries of the travel awards will be published here soon.Ìý

Inequalities

Health inequalities are unfair, avoidable and systematic differences in health across the population, and between different groups of people. These include how long people are likely to live, the health conditions they may experience and the care that is available to them. The conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age can impact our health and wellbeing.Ìý

Harnessing advanced data science expertise to understand and address health inequalities is a core aim of all HDRUK Research Driver Programmes.ÌýÌý

The Big Data for Complex Disease  Driver Programme hosted the Cross-Driver Inequalities Workshop in March 2025 in London.ÌýÌý

The event brought together all of 51±¬ÁÏÍø’s Driver Programmes, Regional Networks, and key stakeholders including , , members of the public and UK wide data providers and public health agencies, to explore how linked datasets can be used to better understand and address health inequalities.Ìý

A full report of the workshop and its outcomes can be read by scanning the QR code below:Ìý