The Public Health Improvement Research Network (PHIRN) has been funded by the Wales Office of Research and Development in Health and Social Care (WORD) and the Public Health Improvement Division at the Welsh Assembly Government

PHIRN is a research network led by academics from Swansea, Bangor and Cardiff universities:

• Ronan Lyons, Centre for Health Information, Research and Evaluation (CHIRAL) and Health Information Research Unit (HIRU), University of Wales, Swansea.
• Ian Russell, Institute of Medical and Social Care Research (IMSCAR), University of Wales, Bangor.
• David Fone, Centre for Health Sciences Research (CHSR), Cardiff University.
• Gareth Williams, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University
• Laurence Moore, Cardiff Institute of Society, Health and Ethics (CISHE), Cardiff University.

The main aim of PHIRN is to increase the quantity and quality of public health improvement research by bringing together public health researchers, policy makers and practitioners in Wales. The intended outcome of PHIRN activities will be successful project grant applications to major research funders, and rigorous evaluations of new initiatives in policy and practice ('natural experiments').

The PHIRN co-ordinating team are based at the Cardiff Institute of Society, Health and Ethics (CISHE) at Cardiff University.

• School based interventions involving SMART cards and catering staff
• Binge drinking and adolescents
• Involving children in research

New topics identified at the alcohol misuse seminar:

• Exploring the cost of alcohol misuse
• Prison based interventions to address multiple social issues, including substance misuse, in a holistic manner

New topics identified at the physical activity seminar:

• Physical activity and wellbeing
• BME populations and physical activity

Register and get involved today!

• I want to join now!

PHIRN Research Evidence for Policy Seminar Series

The most recent Health Challenge Wales seminar took place on the 19th September. The title for this event was 'The school environment and health improvement'. Presentations are now available to view.

Future Health Challenge Wales seminars will be held on the 15th December and the 26th January in the Glamorgan building, Cardiff University.

15th December: The Challenge of Adolescent Smoking: research, policy and practice.

Confirmed speakers:

Sue Bowker/ Chris Tudor-Smith, Welsh Assembly Government
Policy context and development in adolescent smoking prevention and cessation
Daniel Clayton, ASH Wales,
The Ffaith programme and implications for policy and practice
Laurence Moore, CISHE,
Building on ASSIST: the potential of informal peer led approaches to smoking prevention and cessation
Amanda Amos, Edinburgh University
Priorities for adolescent smoking prevention and cessation research and practice: The Way Forward.

To register please contact Zoe Macdonald: macdonaldz@cardiff.ac.uk

Read more here about past events.

• UKCRC Centre Bid - a strategic partnership of collaborators from the Universities of Cardiff,
  Bristol and Swansea are responding to the call for Public Health Research Centres of Excellence.
  For further information click here.
• Neighbourhood, social deprivation and mental health: the mediating role of social cohesion
• Evaluation of Free School Breakfasts
• Evaluation of the National Exercise Referral Scheme
• CHETS (Changes in Child Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke) Wales
• SNAPS (Social Network Analysis of Peers and Smoking in adolescence)
• Going for Gold: Developing Health Challenge Newport
• A feasibility study of a licensed premise intervention to reduce alcohol misuse and violent injury