School of Medicine celebrates REF 2021 success

REF 2021 results demonstrate the School’s goal to deliver research that has significant impacts on the lives of real people

The latest UK wide assessment of research quality, REF 2021, demonstrates that the School of Medicine at the University of Leeds is delivering high quality research across discovery and translational science, experimental medicine and clinical trials, biostatistics, epidemiology, applied health and population data science. 

For the REF 2021 submission, research and impact from our school was assessed by disciplinary units, known as Units of Assessment (UoA) for Clinical Medicine (UoA1), Public Health, Health Service and Primary Care (UoA2), with significant contributions also made to Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy (UoA3) and Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience (UoA 4). 

Highlights include:  

• 86% of research within Clinical Medicine was rated as either world leading or internationally excellent 
• 94% of research outputs related to Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care were rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent 
• 100% of impact activities related to Clinical Medicine were rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent 
• The excellence of our research environment was recognised  

The School’s success is a result of excellent interdisciplinary work from our community of academics who are supported by the highest quality clinical, methodological, translational, and technological facilities.  

The dedication of our whole community, including our academic, professional, technical, and administrative staff, drives the research needed to achieve our vision of improved health - wherever you live.

Professor Stephen Wheatcroft, Director of Research & Innovation for the School of Medicine, said: ‘The REF 2021 results are a fantastic demonstration of the School’s goal to deliver research that has significant impacts on the lives of real people. By working collaboratively across disciplines, we have achieved our ambition, articulated in our strategy Medicine Redefined, to deliver cutting-edge research focused on grand clinical challenges. The dedication of our whole community, including our academic, professional, technical, and administrative staff, drives the research needed to achieve our vision of improved health - wherever you live. Better research happens when researchers work in environments that promote more diverse and inclusive communities; our REF 2021 results reflect this”. 

 Notable successes include:  

• For Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy (UoA3), 95% of all research activities was rated as world leading or internationally excellent  
• 94% of research publication within Public Health, Health Service and Primary Care (UoA2) was rated as either world leading or internationally excellent 

The impact of our research is a particular highlight, click on the link for just one example of our case studies assessed in REF 2021 - how we have used cardiac MRI scans to improve the diagnosis and safety of patients with heart disease.
 

Further information 

For media enquiries contact University of Leeds press office via pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk.
View the University of Leeds' REF 2021 results for all units of assessment.

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